Green skills and environmental awareness in vocational education and training

A synthesis report from cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training)

Summary

The greening of the European economy, as outlined in the EU 2020 strategy, will have profound effects on the labour market and the development of the skills of the European population.

This study on green skills and environmental awareness in VET identifies challenges, priorities and policy recommendations for taking advantage of the transition towards a green economy by facilitating labour-market responses to emerging skill needs.

In particular, the study investigates the links between skill needs in the labour market and the responses of learning providers. This report claims that the main factor preventing adaption to the green economy is low and short-sighted demand for new qualifications from employers.

Moreover, the uncertainty surrounding forthcoming regulations and policies makes it difficult to anticipate skill needs. Learning providers also report difficulties in meeting the needs of employers with diverse occupational profiles and understanding what organisations’ skill needs are, which indicates a reactive rather than proactive role in training provision.

Overall, there is limited evidence of a mainstreaming of policies within these fields, suggesting a potential for better cooperation, awareness and action among policy-makers and the social partners.

Full text (PDF 138pp)

---

The polluter-doesn’t-pay principle

an article (CEPCP369) by Ralf Martin, Ulrich J. Wagner and Laure B. de Preux published in CentrePiece - The Magazine for Economic Performance (May 2012)

Abstract

By granting discounts on environmental taxes to heavy polluting firms, the government is missing out on significant tax revenues and achieving considerably less in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

That is the central conclusion of research by Ralf Martin and colleagues, which reveals the failings of the UK’s climate change levy.

Their study shows that firms that enjoy a discount from the levy, claiming that such measures damage their ability to compete in the global economy, do not in fact face higher risks to their competitiveness. Firms that pay the full climate change levy reduce their energy use and their emissions by more than those that get a tax discount.

Full article (PDF 4pp)

---