PAGE CHINA NEWS FOR THE GREEN JOBS WORKING GROUP - September 2022
WHAT WE'RE READING
China
China unveils plan to improve harmless disposal of sludge
2022-09-28 Source: Xinhua
Chinese authorities have unveiled a plan to improve the harmless disposal of sludge to reduce pollution and improve resource utilization. By 2025, the daily capacity of new harmless sludge disposal facilities in China will be at or above 20,000 tonnes, according to a plan released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
Green professions thrive as green economy develops
2022-09-23 Source: People’s Daily
China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security recently unveiled a new version of an occupational classification list, which designates 133 jobs as green professions, up from 127 in a 2015 version. The green professions include energy consumption instructor, heat engineering technician of metallurgy, environmental sanitation engineering technician, among others.
Chinese president's special representative attends UN high-level meeting on climate change
2022-09-22 Source: Xinhua
Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative Wang Yi, also Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, on Wednesday attended a high-level meeting on climate change at the United Nations (UN) headquarters and delivered a speech.
China believes that global climate governance goals should be advanced in four aspects, Wang said. The first is to focus on making the UN climate change conference to be held in Sharm El- Sheikh a success. The second is to attach importance to implementing actions. The third is to promote green transformation in a practical manner. Wang called for gradually withdrawing from the mode of traditional energy on the basis of secure and reliable new energy sources. He also appealed for high-quality and just transformation within the framework of sustainable development. The fourth is to create a fine political environment.
BRICS tourism ministers discuss green growth, sustainable development, recovery
2022-09-20 Source: Xinhua
Tourism ministers from BRICS countries on Monday engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as green growth, sustainable development and recovery, during a meeting held via video link.
China a greener country after decade-long ecological efforts
2022-09-16 Source: Xinhua
During a Thursday press conference summarizing the country's ecological progress, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said that the past 10 years witnessed the country's toughest measures and most extraordinary progress regarding ecology and the environment. Days with good air quality accounted for 87.5 percent of 2021, up 6.3 percentage points from 2015. Devoted to a green shift in energy consumption, China transformed over 27 million rural households in its northern regions from coal energy to clean heating in the past 10 years. This transformation helped save more than 60 million tonnes of bulk coal. Green efforts have also gone into energy generation to mitigate pollution from fossil fuels. Thanks to its green drive, China has slashed its carbon emissions intensity by 34.4 percent over the past 10 years. Green has become the color of economic and social development, Huang said.
China unveils plan to boost green development of electrical equipment
2022-08-30 Source: Xinhua
China on Monday unveiled an action plan to expedite the green and low-carbon development of electrical equipment amid the country's efforts to meet its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. Within five to eight years, a marked improvement will be made in the demand and supply structure of China's electrical equipment, and the efficiency of its power grid will be significantly enhanced, according to the plan released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and four other government bodies.
India
Over 99% of India’s population breathes air that exceeds WHO’s PM2.5 guidelines: Report by Greenpeace
2022-09-02 Source: Times of India
According to the key findings in the report titled “Different Air Under One Sky”, the greatest proportion of people living in India are exposed to PM2.5 concentrations more than 5 times the WHO annual average guideline. The report said 62 per cent of pregnant women in the country live in the most polluted areas, compared to 56 per cent people in the whole population. The highest exposure to pollution in the country is in Delhi-NCR. The report said the government
“must introduce a robust air quality monitoring system” across the country and “make the data
publicly available in real time”.
National Forest Martyrs Day is marked on September 11 to highlight the significance of trees
2022-09-11 Source: DNA India
National Forest Martyrs Day 2022 is observed on September 11 every year to honour those who gave their lives to preserve India's forests, jungles, and wildlife. In order to protect our forests, wildlife, national parks, animal sanctuaries, etc., forest rangers and other personnel work day and night. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declared in 2013 that a day should be set aside in honour of forests and people who protect India's forests, jungles, and wildlife.
Indian scientists are working on smart materials to help convert waste heat to electricity
2022-09-21 Source: Scroll
A team of researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research have found several new smart materials which can efficiently convert waste heat to electricity and power small home appliances and automobiles.
The new and efficient thermoelectric materials have the potential to help the country leapfrog to sustainable new age technologies and facilitate the journey towards the country’s National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, one of the eight national missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, ensuring a faster transition to a low carbon economy.
India amongst leaders in green jobs generation, creates employment for 8.63 lakh in 2021
2022-09-26 Source: The Print
In 2020-21, India created 863,000 green jobs, of which 217,000 were in solar photovoltaic vertical and 414,000 in hydropower, according to International Renewable Energy Agency and the International Labour Organization;s joint report ‘Renewable Energy and Jobs — Annual Review 2022’. India added 10.3 GW of solar PV capacity in 2021, up from 4.2 GW installed in 2020. The government is supporting the renewable energy expansion with initiatives such as levying import duties on all modules and cells, production-linked incentives scheme to boost domestic manufacturing, and financial support for project developers setting up production facilities.
Indonesia
Ministry developing self-assessment tool for labor protection
2022-09-29 Source: Antara News
The Ministry of Manpower is developing Norm 100, a self-assessment tool on labor protection that cover wide range of industry sectors. The assessment is aimed at measuring the quality of social security programs, carried out by the company to protect their workforces. This tool has incorporated criteria related to child labor and sexual harassment in the workplace prevention. The purpose of the innovation is to assist labor norms examination process considering the limited capacity – both in number and competency, of labor inspectors across Indonesia. The goal is to increase the number of companies we provide services for in implementing labor norms and increase the number of workers who are protected by their rights
PLN aborts electric stove conversion program in last-minute decision
2022-09-28 Source: The Jakarta Post
The state-owned power utility, PLN, has canceled the electric stove conversion program, two days after the company said that it had begun a trial with a total of 2,000 beneficiaries. The conversion program that was just started to be announced as part of the energy transition effort has met with criticism from experts and lawmakers.
Previously the government planned to distribute induction stoves to millions of households currently relying on subsidized LPG to reduce fuel subsidy. The stoves were planned to be supplied by domestic manufacturers that can produce 15.3 million induction stoves for the next three years. Initially, PLN planned to implement pilot projects in Solo and Denpasar by distributing 300,000 stoves by the end of this year. With this development, the government announced that the conversion program will be postponed and will not take place within this year.
5 Essential Documents produced by G20 Employment Presidency
2022-09-14 Source: G20
The G20 Labor and Employment Ministers Meeting (LEMM), attended by the G20 Ministers of Manpower, resulted in 5 essential documents. The forum, held in Bali from 12-14 September 2022 has produced the Action Plan on Accelerating and Monitoring the G20 Principles for the Labor Market Integration of Persons with Disabilities, The G20 Policy Recommendations for Sustainable Growth and Productivity in Human Capacity Development through Strengthening Community-Based Vocational Training (CBVT), Policy Recommendation on Promoting Entrepreneurship and Supporting MSMEs as a Job Creation Instrument, the G20 Policy Principles
on Adapting Labor Protection for More Effective Protection and Increased Resilience for All Workers, and Update of the G20 Skills Strategy.
Aside from these documents, the G20 meeting has also agreed a Joint Statements between L20 and B20 on strengthening commitment in establishing harmonious industrial relations, and mainstreaming social dialogue to encounter future employment challenges.
Thailand
FTI and TGO Launch World’s First Carbon Credit Trading Platform
2022-09-22 Source: NNT
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-Archa presided over the signing of an agreement between the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) to jointly operate a carbon credit trading center. The event, which was held under the theme "Take action to combat global warming: The solution for Thailand’s and the world’s survival," also marked the launch of the "FTI: CC/RE/REC X" platform, or FTIX, a trading platform that focuses on carbon credit, renewable energy, and renewable energy certificate.
Cabinet approves energy pricing measures
2022-09-14 Source: NNT
The Cabinet approved two measures to help mitigate the energy crisis, covering diesel and electricity, targeting primarily lower-income earners. The Cabinet in a weekly meeting approved a set of mitigating measures for the energy crisis, including special electricity rates and an extension of the special excise tax rate for diesel. Proposed by the Ministry of Energy, a special electricity rate scheme will be offered to households based on their electricity consumption. Households consuming up to 300 electricity units per month will be eligible for a 0.92 baht per unit discount.
UN NEWS
Renewable energy jobs rise by 700,000 in a year, to nearly 13 million
2022-09-22 Source: UN News
Worldwide employment in the renewable energy sector reached 12.7 million last year, a jump of 700,000 new jobs in just 12 months, despite the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the growing energy crisis, according to a new report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in collaboration with the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO).
ILO Former Director-General, Guy Ryder, said that “beyond the numbers, there is a growing focus on the quality of jobs and the conditions of work in renewable energies, to ensure decent and productive employment. “The increasing share of female employment suggests that dedicated policies and training can significantly enhance the participation of women in renewable energy occupations, inclusion and ultimately, achieve a just transition for all.” Mr. Ryder encouraged governments, organized labour and business groups “to remain firmly committed to a sustainable energy transition, which is indispensable for the future of work.”
1.5 degree climate pledge ‘on life support’, Guterres tells leaders during frank exchanges
2022-09-21 Source: UN News
During a private meeting of Heads of State and Government, held on Wednesday at UN Headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for more action and leadership to tackle the climate crisis, warning that efforts to keep the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels is “on life support”.
Mr. Guterres told the assembled leaders that the devastation he witnessed this month in Pakistan, where flooding covered around a third of the country at its height, occurred with global warming of 1.2 degrees; the world is currently on track for an overall increase of more than three degrees.
New platform highlights women’s leadership in tackling global challenges
2022-09-20 Source: UN News
Women Heads of State and Government meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Tuesday have highlighted how women’s full and effective participation and decision-making are crucial to addressing global priorities.
Out of the 193 countries that are UN Member States, only 28 women serve as elected Heads of State or Government. There also is still a long way to go when it comes to the proportion of women in other levels of political office. Globally, women comprise 21 per cent of the world’s ministers, 26 per cent of national parliamentarians, and 34 per cent of elected local government seats.
A new UN report has further revealed that at the current pace of progress, equal parliamentary representation will not be achieved until 2062.
Guterres: ‘Global addiction to fossil fuels’ must end and a ‘renewables revolution’ jumpstarted
2022-09-18 Source: UN News
Achieving a just and equitable energy transition is “one of the biggest challenges facing our world,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Global Compact Board meeting on Sunday.
Climate disasters and skyrocketing fuel prices have made the need to “end our global addiction to fossil fuels” crystal clear, he said, underscoring the importance of investing in renewables, building resilience, and scaling up adaptation. “Had we invested massively in renewable energy in the past, we would not be in the middle of a climate emergency now”.
According to Mr. Guterres, a just transition to a renewable energy future is everybody’s business, including the private sector to advance science-based targets and Just Transition plans, in partnership with labour organizations and civil society.
Global cooperation to protect the ozone layer can ensure a better future for us all
2022-09-16 Source: UN News
As the Montreal Protocol to Protect the Ozone Layer turns 35 on Friday, World Ozone Day, the United Nations has said that continuing the level of cooperation that led to the treaty’s adoption and success is just what is needed to protect life on Earth, end the climate crisis and ensure a brighter future for us all.
Climate change impacts ‘heading into uncharted territory’, warns UN chief
2022-09-13 Source: UN News
“Climate science is clear: we are heading in the wrong direction”, declares a major, multi-agency UN climate science report released on Tuesday, with a focus on increasing fossil fuel emissions and rising greenhouse gases, now at a record high, which risk thwarting plans to reduce global temperatures and avoid climate catastrophe.
The researchers behind “Uniting in Science”, coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), studied several factors related to the climate crisis - from CO2 emissions, global temperature rises, and climate predictions; to “tipping points”, urban climate change, extreme weather impacts, and early warning systems.
One of the key conclusions of the report is that far more ambitious action is needed, if we are to avoid the physical and socioeconomic impacts of climate change having an increasingly devastating effect on the planet.
If the world reaches a climate “tipping point”, we will be faced with irreversible changes to the climate system. The report says that this cannot be ruled out: the past seven years were the warmest on record, and there is almost a 50-50 chance that, in the next five years, the annual mean temperature will temporarily be 1.5°C higher than the 1850-1900 average.
New national mitigation pledges for 2030 show some progress toward lowering greenhouse gas emissions, but are insufficient. The ambition of these new pledges would need to be four times higher to get on track to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius and seven times higher to get on track to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Pollution and climate change upsurge the risk of ‘climate penalty’
2022-09-07 Source: UN News
A rise in the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwaves will not only increase wildfires this century but also worsen air quality – harming human health and ecosystems, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) launched on Wednesday, the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.
“As the globe warms, wildfires and associated air pollution are expected to increase, even under a low emissions scenario,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “In addition to human health impacts, this will also affect ecosystems as air pollutants settle from the atmosphere to Earth’s surface”.
If greenhouse gas emissions remain high, such that global temperatures rise by 3° C from preindustrial levels by the second half of the 21st century, surface ozone levels are expected to increase across heavily polluted areas, particularly in Asia. This includes a 20 per cent jump across Pakistan, northern India and Bangladesh, and 10 per cent across eastern China.
Fossil fuel emissions will cause ozone increases that will most likely trigger heatwaves, which in turn will amplify air pollution. Therefore, the heatwaves that are becoming increasingly common due to climate change, are likely to continue degrading air quality.
ILO calls on G20 to support the “Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection”
2022-09-15 Source: ILOs
ILO Former Director-General Guy Ryder has called on G20 Labour and Employment Ministers to support the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, a UN initiative coordinated by the International Labour Organization.
The one-day meeting, which was hosted by Indonesia on September 14, took place against the backdrop of multiple and interrelated crises leading to sharp rises in the cost of living, particularly
regarding the prices of food and energy, and spiralling levels of global debt.
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