ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region is leading the world as the region with the best green jobs outlook if investments and policy reforms are realized. According to the ILO (2018a), up to 14.2 million net green jobs can be achieved by 2030. However, the creation of jobs won't happen on its own; instead, we must have the ability to spot possibilities and create strategic policies and interventions that are motivated by the Decent Work Agenda and the environment, respectively.

Coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, and its rapid phasing out is essential to limit global warming to 1.5°C. A new ILO report highlights need for ‘Just transition hotspots’ to ensure human-centred transition away from coal in Indonesia, the Philippines and Viet Nam.

The Asia-Pacific Green Jobs Network meeting is held monthly to share knowledge and facilitate networking in advancing ILO’s agenda for greening the world/future of work, with the aim to: discuss how the ILO is working for a Covid-19 recovery with green jobs exchange information about keeping climate change action commitments in place as part of the recovery measures for better jobs, and contribute to global efforts against the Covid-19 pandemic and the Climate Change emergency. The meeting brings together the ILO Asia-Pacific regional Green Jobs team including the Senior Specialist for Environment and Decent Work (convener of the network), green jobs focal points in the ILO country offices and interested staff members in the region. Recently, the network has also been expanded to include national constituents working on relevant issues in Asia-Pacific countries, thus developing into an important regional exchange and networking platform on Green Jobs and Just Transition.

Under the Decent Work in Garment Supply Chains Asia project, the ILO is releasing a "Just Transition Toolkit". The Toolkit looks at how to drive behaviours and practices throughout the textile and garment supply chain in Asia, and will provide specific advice on just transition in the garment sector to social partners and industry stakeholders groups including: governments and policy actors, enterprises, workers.

The week of 6-13 July the ILO participated in six sessions at the Asia-Pacific Climate Week and the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. These webinars represent a step towards the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which will be hosted by Glasgow from 31 October – 12 November 2021.