The government of Ghana, through its Ministry of Labor, Jobs, and Employment, is strategizing to transform Ghana into a Green Jobs hub, promoting a green economy.
Promoting green jobs is crucial for protecting the environment and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for Ghana’s citizens. The government is therefore establishing a systematic process to identify, quantify, and analyze green jobs, which is vital for policy development, workforce planning, and monitoring progress toward green objectives.
“This inventory [Green Jobs Inventory] gives us a strong national baseline to work with. With this, we can track our progress annually in green jobs creation and measure how well the country [Ghana] is building its green economy.”
Mr. Lloyd Ngo, International Labour Organization (ILO)
Ghana Responds to Green Jobs
According to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Mr. Hamidu Adakurugu Esq., the Ministry and government are putting measures in place for Ghana’s labour market to respond to climate change, technological innovation, and emerging employment trends.
He declared that the global economy is rapidly transforming and Ghana must position itself to harness green growth opportunities while safeguarding decent work. He added that the Ministry of Labour, Jobs, and Employment, through its Draft Ghana Green Jobs Inventory Report, marked a major step in Ghana’s transition from jobs and economic activities that harm the environment, toward a sustainable and inclusive green economy.
Mr Adakurugu reiterated that the Green Jobs Inventory that the government, through the Ministry, is pursuing provides “a systematic assessment of the supply side of Ghana’s green labour market by mapping skills, occupations, and human capital potential across the country.”
He further noted that the report highlights emerging green employment opportunities, skills gaps, labour market dynamics, and the strategies required to ensure a just and inclusive transition for all workers.
This report, he assured, will serve as “a critical evidence base for policy formulation, skills development reforms, support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), cooperatives, and stronger collaboration among government, the private sector, social partners, and development partners.”
The Chief Director appreciated the support and contribution of assisting institutions and partners in the development of the draft report, particularly CDC Consult, implementing agencies, and development partners, especially the European Union (EU) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), for their invaluable support.
Identified Critical Issues to the Green Jobs
Mr. Lloyd Ngo revealed that the policy comes with certain worth noting challenges which Ghana needs to pay attention to immediately. He alluded that, though the Green Jobs initiative is laudable and necessary, it requires stronger policy coherence among institutions involved in green jobs development.
According to him, he has observed that stakeholder coordination on the platform has been limited over the past two years and urged renewed collaboration. The stakeholders need to be active to support the initiative for maximum impact, he added.
Mr. Ngo reaffirmed the ILO’s commitment to supporting the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment and other partner institutions “to effectively monitor and manage green job development across the country, adding that what cannot be measured cannot be properly tracked.”
The outcomes of the validation process for the Green Jobs Inventory initiative are expected to strengthen Ghana’s preparedness to create sustainable green jobs while promoting social protection and decent working conditions nationwide.
The Green Job Strategy
In May 2020, the Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project was launched under the patronage of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
GrEEn aimed to create greater economic and employment opportunities for youth, women, and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green business in selected regions (Ashanti and Western). It was funded by the European Union and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana, and implemented by UNCDF and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation.
The GrEEn project, a 5-year National Green Job Strategy (2021-2025), is a practical initiative that directly supports and operationalises the broader goals and provides an evidence base for the government’s National Green Job Strategy (developed in 2021 by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the ILO) and the related Green Jobs Inventory Report (current government’s extension).
Therefore, while the GrEEn project provides the real-world data for implementation, the Green Jobs Inventory Report, which is still in its validation stage, will provide the policy framework and national baseline that guides the activities and objectives of projects like the GrEEn.
With all the environmental and climate challenges Ghana faces, an initiative that promotes economic growth through job creation and at the same time protects the environment is very welcome.
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