Yeşil Ekonominin İstihdam Üzerindeki Yansımaları ve Yeşil İşler: Cinsiyet Temelli Bir Modelleme ile İngiliz İşgücü Anketinden Bulgular
İklim değişikliği, çevre kirliliği, biyolojik çeşitliliğin kaybedilmesi ve doğal kaynakların hızla tükenmesine bağlı doğa olaylarındaki artışlar, genel ekonomiyi ve sürdürülebilir kalkınmayı giderek olumsuz yönde etkilemektedir. Buna karşılık, yeşil ekonomiye geçişin iklim değişikliğinin çevre ve genel ekonomi üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerini hafifleteceği ya da tersine çevireceği ileri sürülmektedir. Bu açıdan, bu çalışma yeşil ekonomiye geçişin istihdam üzerindeki olası yansımaları ve yeşil iş kavramını açıklamaya yönelik bir literatür incelemesi sunmayı ve temel olarak İngiltere’deki yeşil işleri analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu araştırmanın yöntemi, 2014 yılı İngiliz İşgücü Anketi mikro verilerine iki yönlü (binary) lojistik regresyon modelleme analiz tekniğini uygulayarak, demografik profil ve istihdam durumu değişkenlerinin yeşil işlerle ilişkisindeki cinsiyet farklılıklarının araştırılmasına dayanmaktadır. Araştırma sonuçları orijinal olarak, İngiltere’deki yeşil işler ile demografik profil ve istihdam durumu değişkenleri arasında değişen derecelerde anlamlı ilişkilerin olduğunu ve yeşil işlerin erkekler lehine istihdamda bir cinsiyet eşitsizliği yarattığını bulmuştur.
The Reflections of Green Economy on Employment, and the Green Jobs: Findings from the British Labour Force Survey through a Gender-based Modelling
Increases in natural events depending on climate change, environmental pollution, the loss of bio-diversity and the rapid extinction of natural resources undermine gradually the general economy and sustainable economic development. As the response this, it is suggested that the transition towards a green economy will reverse or mitigate the negative effects of climate change on the environment and the general economy. In this sense, this paper aims to present a literature review to explain the possible reflects of the transition towards a green economy on employment and the green jobs concept, and to examine the green jobs in the United Kingdom. Methods of the study depend on investigating gender differences in the association between the green jobs and demographic and work-status variables, by applying binary logistic regression modelling analysis technique to micro data set from the 2014 British Labour Force Survey. The research results originally found that there were significant relationships between the green jobs and demographic and work-status variables in varying degrees and the green jobs created gender inequality in employment in favour of the male.
General economy and climate policy issues, two major challenges which the world has faced today, as well as the relationship between both main challenges, have become one of the most debated issues academically and institutionally. The first challenge is to reverse the danger in climate change and prevent deterioration in the progression of natural resources which jeopardise the living standards of the current and future generations. The second challenge is to provide economic growth which creates more and better jobs that offer social development for all. In this line, it is suggested that the transition towards a green economy will reverse or mitigate the negative effects of climate change on the environment and the general economy, and the same time it will offer decent jobs which guarantee work rights, sufficient wage and social security for workers in conditions of freedom, equality, security and human dignity
There is not a full consensus on the definition of the green economy, however, all definitions meet on common grounds. For example, UNEP defines a green economy “as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities”. To sum up, the green economy contains low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. Both public and private sectors can invest in the green economic sectors which mitigate carbon emissions and environmental pollutions, improve energy and resource efficiency, and avoid the loss of bio-diversity and eco-system services.
The investments in green economic sectors will create, on the one hand, directly some new jobs in the green sectors, on the other hand, the indirect jobs in the supplier industries which provide intermediate goods and services for the green sectors. Traditionally, the term “green jobs” was used to quote jobs that contribute to sustainable, protection and development of the environment in the areas of bio-diversity and nature conservation, environmental consultancy, waste disposal and pollution control. However, lately, the meaning of the green jobs has been extended by including jobs in the low carbon sectors such as renewable energy, resource and energy-efficient production, low carbon transport fuels, climate change consultancy and carbon finance sectors.
Admittedly, green economic restructuring will influence both the quantity and quality of jobs in the labour market. In this sense, it is expected that the transition to a green economy may create a large number of green jobs and make changes in a large part of existing jobs and occupations in the target sectors. Likewise, it is argued that the green sectors will create more quality jobs than traditional sectors, however, the job quality in green sectors seems still unclear because of the instability of green jobs, non-durable of SMEs against economic fluctuations, constantly changing politic targets and regulations, and union busting. In addition, it is expected that the majority of green jobs will create in the fields of construction, manufacturing and engineering where women employment is significantly lower. Therefore, some green sectors will unintentionally exclude women.
This paper aims to present a literature review to explain the possible reflections of the transition towards a green economy on employment and gender inequality and to examine if green jobs lead to gender inequality in the United Kingdom. In this line, methods of the study depend on investigating gender differences in the association between green jobs and demographic and work-status variables, by applying binary logistic regression modelling to micro data set from the 2014 British Labour Force Survey. The original findings of the research can be summed up following as:
Evidence points out that the British green economy exacerbates gender inequality which excludes women in terms of employment. Also, logistic models highlight that as age increases, the possibility of employment in green jobs is higher. On the other hand, green job opportunities in Wales are more than in other countries. Additionally, as education level increases, employment prospect in the green sectors is better. The majority of green jobs in the UK consist of full-time jobs. And green jobs concentrate in the private sector and large-sized workplaces with 500 and more workers. Logistic analyses point out that while the tendency of trade union membership for workers in the green jobs is lower, the coverage rate of the collective agreement is higher. This result shows that British workers in the green sectors mostly prefer to enter the coverage of collective bargaining by solidarity dues rather than trade union membership. Finally, as a reflection of educational outcomes, high-ranked occupations such as managerial and professional professions and occupations requiring highly-skills increase the employment possibilities in green sectors.
