Maverick Musings #13th

India has the potential to create 35 million green jobs by 2047-?Skill Council for Green Jobs

Welcome to the 13th edition of Maverick Musings.?

First and foremost, we want to sincerely apologise for the unexpected delay in receiving your usual dose of updates from us. The truth is, we've been so immersed in some incredible impact-driven activities.? Instead of a weekly update, we're transitioning to a monthly newsletter format as several crucial projects are lining up.? We would use this opportunity to create even more valuable content to share with you.?

This time, our focus is on the pivotal theme of green jobs- booming, widening, with exciting opportunities and complexities. Thus, we delve into key terms and concepts, covering some basics.?

While discussing green jobs, the green economy becomes an inseparable term. The Green Economy envisions an economic system that balances job creation and economic growth with environmental sustainability, and the global shift towards a green economy is anticipated to generate trillions of dollars in economic value.

The relationship between the Green Economy and the SDGs is quite noteworthy.? The 17 SDGs outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, align closely with green principles. For example, SDG 7 emphasizes affordable and clean energy, resonating with the green economy's focus on resource efficiency and lower emissions. The Green Economy offers a practical pathway to reach the SDGs, while the SDGs provide a comprehensive framework that gives direction to the Green Economy. Green Economy and SDGs are indeed two sides of the global sustainability coin.?

Green Jobs, as defined by the International Labor Organization (ILO) are "decent" jobs that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment, whether in established industries like manufacturing and construction or in new, developing green industries like renewable energy and waste management.

To bring these concepts into perspective, let's examine specific sectors with high potential for green job creation. In the renewable energy sector, particularly solar energy, we can discover that the installation and commissioning segment offers numerous short-term jobs for semi-skilled and low-skilled workers, while component manufacturing and assembly provide sustained employment.

The solar energy sector is projected to have 3.26 million jobs by 2050- CEEW

There are currently 25 qualifications available for training in the Solar Energy field in India by the Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ) and the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI). However, only 3 of these qualifications are actively being used:

• Solar PV Installer (Suryamitra, training solar panel installers)
• Solar PV Installer (subset, focusing on the electrical aspects of solar panel installation)?
• Solar PV Installer (subset focusing on the structural and construction aspects of solar panel installation)?

Waste management, specifically e-waste management, has potential job creation in recycling and refurbishment segments, offering opportunities for semi-skilled and low-skilled workers.?

?The E-waste management sector is estimated to create 0.5 million new jobs in India by 2025- ILO

Green transitions in traditional industries, such as the sustainable textiles and apparel sector, are expected to produce more green jobs.? Taking an instance from the sustainable textiles and apparel sector, utilizing less/recycled resources in fabric construction, and employing less resource-intensive natural inputs like dyes and chemicals poses a high green job potential.? In apparel making, reducing material consumption and waste, implementing less resource-intensive and energy-efficient processes, incorporating clean energy sources, and Addressing wastewater treatment also pave the way for green jobs. While SSCs such as the Textile Skill Sector Council (TSSC), Apparels Made-ups Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council (AMHSSC), and Leather Skill Sector Council offer courses on efficient material usage and waste reduction, these modules lack a sustainability focus. However, the Apparel Training and Design Centre (ATDC) offers one course in textile waste management?

Skills for Green Jobs

Green skills are skills needed to Reduce the negative environmental impacts of current industrial practices or to support restructuring those practices to improve environmental sustainability and create decent work opportunities. Green skills can be

• Green Skills A, skills needed for emerging environmental industries like renewable energy, waste management, and green building. Examples can be solar panel installation, wind turbine maintenance, and composting facility management.
• Green Skills B aims to make existing industries more sustainable by adopting eco-friendly practices. Energy efficiency engineering in manufacturing, sustainable farming practices, and circular economy implementation in production come under this classification.?
• Generic green skills, Provide a foundation for green practices across all industries. For instance, EIA, sustainability reporting, ESG, environmental communication, etc., come under this category.?

Seizing opportunities

• Great Indian Treasure Hunt: It is a 3-month transformative journey with Khoj, where participants can explore 6+ states, engage with 10+ social organisations, and undergo a dynamic learning experience. It spans across three months, from March to May. It is open to individuals aged 18-35. They offer partial financial assistance and scholarships. There are only limited spots (12) selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. To learn more and apply: https://www.khojindia.in/faq-s
• The Climate Investment Challenge invites global student teams to address climate change through innovative financial solutions. The Main Competition Prize focuses on creating financial structures to boost climate investments, while the Emerging and Developing Markets Prize targets specific underserved markets. The Data Analytics Prize seeks creative ways to integrate climate and financial data for informed decision-making. Open to students globally from any academic background, teams of 2-6 members can participate, led by a postgraduate student. The challenge encourages the use of student emails for application.
• Climate Leadership Program X on Circular Economy is a specialised course designed to educate and empower 40 young leaders from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This fully-funded program targets 18 to 35-year-olds, offering a grounding in circular economy concepts for proactive environmental action on resource use. The course has been designed to suit both working people and students—last date of receipt of applications: 20/02/2024.

Environment in News

Report says USD 2 trillion per year needed to triple global renewables by 2030

A recent report by Climate Analytics highlights the urgent need for substantial investments to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. Achieving this goal requires an estimated $12 trillion – around $2 trillion annually. Currently, only Asia, driven largely by China and India, is on track to meet this target. However, even these countries could potentially undermine progress with continued investments in coal and gas. The report stresses that while the investment seems steep, it's dwarfed by current spending on fossil fuels. To avert disastrous climate change, a concerted global shift towards renewables, particularly among industrialized nations, and increased financial support for developing countries are crucial. Read more here

Climate Change and the 2024 Indian Elections

Climate change is becoming a central concern in India. 2023 was the hottest year on record, and India is home to the world's largest population facing severe risks from climate change. This is fueling natural disasters, impacting livelihoods, and creating a sense of urgency amongst voters.

While environmental issues generally rank lower than concerns like inflation and jobs, more Indians now understand the connections between climate change and the problems they face daily. Surveys show growing support for climate action and recognition of the link between government policies and the climate crisis.

Politicians are responding, increasingly including climate-related promises in their manifestos. But there's still a disconnect between promises and local concerns, and climate change isn't always a decisive factor in elections. For true change, experts say India needs major parties to fully integrate climate action as a core priority and focus on connecting global threats with the real experiences of voters. Read more here

A few insights from our CEO

Discover the power of Earth Nullschool, a free website that brings real-time global weather, wind, and ocean conditions to life. In my recent Medium article, I explain why this tool is a must-have for understanding our planet. It transcends language barriers, making weather data accessible to everyone, and holds crucial information for coastal communities and local governments. Learn about Earth's fascinating systems and take advantage of this incredible resource – read my full article HERE. Thanks to Cameron Beccario for making this knowledge freely available!

Recent Activities in Sustera

CLP 2023 Offline Event

SUSTERA recently conducted an offline session of its flagship Climate Leadership Programme at Farmers Share Shornur from January 12-14th, 2024. This pioneering initiative by the SUSTERA Foundation offers a fully-funded, 12-week intensive leadership training program for passionate youth from diverse backgrounds who want to champion climate action. The program focuses on building a generation of climate leaders equipped to combat climate change, improve communities, and work alongside government and stakeholders to address critical environmental issues. The recent offline session fostered opportunities for networking, collaboration, and strengthening the shared commitment to climate goals among participants.

TEDx Event at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering

Recently, our Chief Executive Officer, Sanju Soman, delivered a talk at a TEDx event held at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering in Kothamangalam. His discourse centred around the significance of climate resilience, with a particular emphasis on its relevance to Kerala.

Gender and Climate Change Workshop at TISS Mumbai

Sustera was represented by our Managing Director, Deepa Ananthapadmanabhan, as a panel guest. She emphasized the critical role of gender in addressing climate change highlighted Sustera's activities in empowering communities for climate action and specifically discussed Sustera's initiatives promoting climate resilience in Kerala, emphasizing the organization's focus on gender inclusivity within climate change solutions.

Final Word

This month, we highlighted the tremendous potential and complexity of the green economy – where social progress, environmental stewardship, and economic growth become allies. As a dynamic field, it calls for diverse skills and unwavering commitment to shape a more sustainable future.

At Sustera, we continue to build partnerships and programs aligning with this purpose. Whether learning about renewable energy with Earth Nullschool, exploring opportunities like the Great Indian Treasure Hunt, or getting inspired at TEDx events, we can all champion this change. Remember, your skills and passion are essential ingredients in a sustainable future. Together, let's create a thriving green economy!