Green Innovation and Employability in the Med through the Triple Helix

The greening of the economy is a shared goal for advanced and less advanced economies alike, particularly where sustained and inclusive employment is an objective for policy-makers. However, the challenges of such greening, and the implications for employment and skills, vary across regions and countries. This is particularly true in the Southern Mediterranean region whose “green needs” are very evident, such as water scarcity and climate change, to mention just a few. Against this backdrop, we see the green economy not only as a challenge but also as a great opportunity. Consensus is growing in terms of the objective of zero emissions from fossil fuels and its impact on climate change trajectories. Breaking the link between economic growth and energy use is the only possible way to reconcile environmental and economic sustainability in the coming decades. Supporting countries in a strategic green transition requires policy coherence between ministries to foresee how market changes will impact employment and inclusive growth. Policy institutions can also learn from organisations in the private sector and from universities as to how to bring policy coherence to their work structures, providing a framework that supports green talent and competences, from those in the early stages of education to those of older workers. All jobs need to be part of the process, not just those linked to renewable energies but to all sectors and at all levels, with a view to aligning skills provision and demand with green market innovations. ‘Green job’ is surely a loose term (Kouri and Clarke, 2014): so far it has been used both in relation to employment in activities related to pollution control, energy efficiency and waste management, as well as in a broader sense, that is, for occupations in agriculture, industry and services that contribute to preserving or restoring the quality of the environment.

Main Author: Silvia Marchionne, UNIMED

Contributors: Raniero Chelli, UNIMED; Caterina Gravina, UNIMED

Coordination and review: Silvia Marchionne, UNIMED; Giuseppe Provenzano, UfM

Project management: Giuseppe Provenzano, UfM

Advisory: Itaf Ben Abdallah, UfM

February 2024