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Jobs for a green future

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We have all talked about the green transition, but are we ready to implement it? Since the Paris climate agreement, followed by the circular economy package, the objectives are in place in the European Union: it is a question of setting a course towards a greener environment, economy and society, but we still need to have the necessary skills.
 

 
Ahe Green Week, the EU's biggest annual event on environmental policy, which started on 29 May - until 2 June - will highlight skills gaps and job opportunities in the emerging circular economy. It is the annual event to discuss and debate European environmental policy. Organised by the European Commission's Environment Directorate-General, this key event in the environmental policy calendar attracts policy makers, influential environmentalists, stakeholders and other interested parties from all over Europe and the rest of the world.
Green Week 2017 is being held under the theme "Green Jobs for a Greener Future". It will focus on exploring how EU environmental policies are working to create green jobs and contribute to sustainable and socially responsible economic growth in the EU. In addition to a high-level conference in Brussels, the programme foresees a series of partner events and activities taking place across Europe.

 
The Green Jobs Summit will be the highlight of the week. It will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be attended by Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella and Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, as well as green business leaders.
 
The role of policy makers, social partners and business in ensuring that people have the skills needed to build a greener economy will be discussed. The summit will also be marked by the LIFE Awards ceremony on Tuesday evening, which this year will celebrate the success of 25 years of EU funding for environmental projects.
 
Today, green employment (which has increased by 20 % since 2000, with 4.2 million jobs in 2014 and a total turnover of around 700 billion euros) is gaining ground in more and more sectors. Green Week will not only focus on measures that would facilitate the creation of green jobs, but will also welcome the presentation of many successful concrete projects in a variety of areas: water resource management, energy-efficient construction, renewable energies, ecotourism and environmentally sound urban planning.
 
For example, in the case ofUmicorea former mining company that now supplies precious metals from old smartphones, used batteries and industrial waste. It is capable of recovering most of the gold contained in printed circuit boards and transforming it into ingots with a purity of 99.9 %. Umicore, which already employs 10,000 people in technical, operational, chemical, administrative and research staff, plans to further expand its workforce.
 
Did you know that the Maltese water company.., Water Services Corporation (WSC), made Malta the first Mediterranean country to treat all its wastewater? Today, its engineers, hydrologists and other technical experts are looking for solutions so that recycled wastewater can be used in agriculture or industry rather than discharged into the sea.
 
In the meantime, Innogy SE is working for a greener future by offering sustainable energy products and helping its customers improve their energy efficiency. Building on its success in Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom, Innogy SE is now looking to expand outside Europe and increase its workforce, which already stands at 40,000 employees, offering retraining programmes along the way for workers in the traditional gas and coal sectors.
 
The Dutch company Heliox has created fast-charging batteries for electric buses to combat air pollution in cities. These innovative bus batteries can recharge a bus in less than five minutes. The technology has already been introduced in Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands and is expected to be exported elsewhere. IKEA, SUEZ Environment and QualiBuild are other examples of how green jobs are currently being integrated into the mainstream economy.
 
 
 

 
Over the course of its theme days, Green Week will host a major policy conference in Brussels, as well as online debates, Twitter discussions and other events.events throughout Europe to promote new green jobs.
Here is the program and its strong points:
 
Monday, May 29th Official kick-off: Official kick-off in Malta. Employment in our campaigns will be the theme of the day. The aim will be to study the measures implemented by European policy to stimulate the creation of green jobs in nature restoration, agriculture and ecotourism.
 
Tuesday, May 30th, dedicated to the water sector. Does EU environmental policy encourage innovation in the water sector by ensuring that water is preserved as a precious resource in the circular economy? This will also be the first day of the Green Jobs Summit, with the LIFE Environment Awards ceremony in Brussels.
 
Wednesday 31st May : heading for a greener future. The aim will be to explore how, in the context of the circular economy, companies and SMEs can expand their markets and create employment while transforming existing jobs. The EU is helping to fund training to bridge the skills gap in this transition.
 
Thursday 1er June: blue-green jobs for the oceans. Study of jobs in marine and coastal protection and restoration, aquaculture, tourism and marine energy. A high-level event on "Skills needs in the evolving green maritime economy" is planned for Thursday.
 
Friday, June 2nd green jobs in your cities. Sustainable urban development makes cities more livable while stimulating innovation and creating green jobs. Green Week will conclude with the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf awards ceremony in Essen, this year's European Green Capital.
 
Green Week is organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment. This key event in the environmental policy calendar attracts policy-makers, influential environmentalists, stakeholders and other interested parties from all over Europe and the rest of the world.
 
We advise you to consult the daily report published during the week and to follow #EUGreenWeek on social media.
 

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