Transcript Slide 1

Circular Economy and Green Employment Initiative

Radosław Owczarzak Policy Officer Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Towards a circular economy for Europe: policy context

• •

Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

Resource Efficiency Flagship Initiative

• •

Mid-term review: pressure on resources and environmental concerns identified as a long-term trend affecting growth Public consultation http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/public consultation/index_en.htm

7 th

Environment Action Programme

Thematic objective to turn the EU into a resource efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy

A New Commission: a new Agenda for Jobs, Growth, Fairness and Democratic Change

Environment and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to reflect the twin logic of "Blue" and "Green" Growth

"[…] Protecting the environment and maintaining our competitiveness can go hand-in-hand, and environment policy also plays a key role in creating jobs and stimulating investment"

Contribute to projects coordinated by the Vice-Presidents for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness and for Energy Union

From a linear economy …

… to a circular economy

Circular Economy Package

Enabling Framework Waste target review Specific waste challenges Resource Efficiency target

European Resource Efficiency Platform recommendations

Umbrella

COM

Green

Employment Initiative

Green

Action Plan for SMEs

• Progress Report • Legislative

proposal

• Impact assessment • Fitness check (packaging) • Sustainable

buildings COM

• Sustainable food • Marine litter • Analysis of an EU target for Resource Productivity

An enabling framework

Design and innovation

Horizon 2020: large scale innovation projects, skills development, market application and partnership; a coherent product policy, Eco-design; cascading use of biomass

Unlocking investment

Environmental taxation, innovative financial instruments, accounting rules, fiduciary duties; resource stress tests, potential of the bonds market , GPP and European Funds

Harnessing the role of business and consumers

Building on the Environmental Footprint pilots, broad stakeholder cooperation under Horizon 2020, action on SMEs and green employment

• •

Towards a recycling society – waste as a resource

Waste targets review, phasing out landfilling of recyclable waste, work with Member States on implementation, extended producer responsibility, marine litter, food & construction waste

A resource efficiency target

Circular Economy and Green Employment Initiative

Context (1)

The green transformation of the economy is driven by two forces:

a long-term global trend towards rising energy and raw material prices - growing dependence 55%

70% by 2030

the climate and environmental policies

Context (2) – Policy initiatives

Europe 2020: strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

Employment Package (2012): Towards a job-rich recovery and SWD: Exploiting the employment potential of green growth

EMPL (2013): Promoting green jobs throughout the crisis: a

handbook of best practices in Europe

2013 and 2014 Annual Growth Surveys - the need to develop strategic frameworks in which labour market and skills policies play an active role in supporting job creation

Facts and figures (1)(cautiousness)

Environmental goods and services sector

(EGSS) – 3 to 4.2m jobs between 2002 and 2011

Employment creation potential: RES, energy efficiency, incl. construction, waste and water management, air quality, restoring and preserving biodiversity, developing green infrastructure… •

Investing in the resource productivity by 2030 could boost GDP by 1% and create more than 2 million jobs

Facts and figures (2)

Internal transformation and redefinition of jobs: • sectors with a high share of emissions (energy generation, transport, agriculture, construction)

- 13.3% of the EU workforce (ranging from 10.7% to 26.7%)

Energy intensive industries (chemicals, steel etc.) – international competition and risk of carbon leakage

Objective

Putting forward targeted policy responses and framework conditions to ensure that the employment and environmental agendas converge and to contribute to reaching the Europe 2020 objectives

Policy responses

Bridging the skills gaps

Anticipating change, securing transitions and promoting mobility

Supporting job creation

Increasing data quality

Bridging the skills gaps

Identifying new skills requirements

• •

Changes to educational and training curricula Quality assurance

Better forecasting skills needs

Partnerships of PES, VET, Social Partners, Business

TOOLS: Sector Skills Councils, Sector Skills Alliances, ESCO, EU Skills Panorama, Mutual Learning Programme, PES Network…

Anticipating change, securing transitions and promoting mobility

Anticipating change and managing restructuring

EU QFR, Sectoral initiatives (CARS2020, Construction2020, Steel, Defense…)

Anticipating and managing H&S risks

Building capacity of PES

Promoting mobility

Targeted mobility schemes, EURES, ESCO, EASQ

Supporting job creation

• • •

20% of EU funding – ESF, ERDF, Horizon 2020, EAFRD, COSME, LIFE…

Shifting taxation from labour to environment, resource and energy use Green public procurement Promoting entrepreneurship

Coordinated with ENTR – Green Action Plan for SMEs

• •

Green social economy Green micro-finance

Engaging key stakeholders and improving data quality

Promoting engagement of the key stake

holders, incl. local and regional authorities , social partners

Increasing data quality and transparency

Strengthening international cooperation, e.g. Green Growth Knowledge Platform

Thank you for your attention!

Radosław OWCZARZAK

European Commission Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

+32-2-29-54934 [email protected]

2030 –

Food waste 30% MUNICIPAL WASTE PREVENTION

Waste Targets

ECODESIGN REUSE & RECYCLING (incl compost) min 70% INCINERATION Producer Responsibility Separate Collection LANDFILL phase out by 2030 (=<5%) Marine Litter 30% Landfill Charges zero recyclables or biodegradable waste by 2025 (<25%)

Setting a resource efficiency target

7 th EAP: "A long-term and predictable policy framework … will help to stimulate the level of investments and action needed to fully develop markets for greener technologies and promote sustainable business solutions. Resource efficiency indicators and targets underpinned by robust data collection would provide the necessary guidance ..."

EREP, 2014: "secure at least a doubling of resource productivity as compared with the pre-crisis trend … equivalent to an increase of well over 30% by 2030"

A possible EU resource efficiency target

2,2 2,0 1,8 1,6 1,4 1,2 1,0 2000 RP +30% (2014-2030) RP Baseline 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 

Improving resource efficiency by 30% can create 2 million jobs and boost GDP by 1% vs. business-as-usual (+15%)

Potential gains for businesses of between 3 and 8% of turnover by using resources more efficiently

Engagement of the Social Partners

Inter-professional (integration of polices)

Sectoral (skills and training, resource efficiency roadmaps)

Enterprise and workplace (energy and resource efficiency initiatives)

All levels: working conditions and OSH