Green economy means an economic system which improves social well-being and human capital while, at the same time, significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological issues, with the goal of achieving sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. According to UN experts, a green economy represents in fact an economic environment that is less harmful towards the natural environment, offering substantial benefits for society and for each individual.
Green economy and the economic crisis
Interest in the notion of green economy began to increase in 2008, after the start of our present economic and financial crisis. At that moment, national strategies were created for improving the economic situation and for creating jobs, which turned out to be an opportunity for promoting green jobs. The economic problems opened up new opportunities: a return to nature while creating jobs for achieving this aim.
Green Jobs
According to UNEP, a green job is a working position in agriculture, industry, research and development (R&D), administration and services which substantially contributes to the recovery or preservation of our environment’s quality. Usually, but not exclusively, these are jobs that help protect nature and biodiversity or reduce our energy, water and resource consumption through various strategies, such as moving away from a carbon-based economy and a reduction in waste generation and pollution.
Currently, at a European level, there is growing demand for jobs in the green economy – green job – in all sectors which are involved in creating products or services for improving the environment.
If you wish to work in this field, you can find out more information here.
Sources:
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/,
http://romania.panda.org/ce_facem/economie_verde/,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_job,
http://www.greenjobs.ro/green/profesii-verzi/
Picture sources: http://haringeygreens.blogspot.fr/2012/07/the-green-economy.html, http://www.freereporter.info/wordpress/2011/11/17/accelerating-plans-for-a-transition-to-a-green-economy/
Article written by Magda Baidan and translated by Mihail-Andreas Mitoseriu.
