engleski

Green Jobs: Proposal for Measurement in Croatia

Industrialization has changed the world drastically and industry is still recognized as the engine of growth. However, as the world population grows, and with it its standard of living and desire for consumption, problems arise: industry extensively uses Earth’s finite natural resources, pollutes the environment and results in climate change. This leads to collapse in our economic and environmental systems. Briefly, conventional economic growth and the conventional economy are no longer sustainable. Humankind is in its search for a decent quality of life for future generations. New paradigms arise as an answer: sustainable development, green growth, green economy, circular economy, green industry, etc. Development is sustainable when it satisfies the present needs of humanity without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfying their needs, and enables balance between economic growth, clean environment and social well-being. The definition of green growth is similar, only turned more towards economic growth, therefore placing special attention on natural assets and resources and their preservation to conserve human well-being. In that context, the social component is very important. This paper considers green jobs which are seen as a solution to both the environmental challenges and the persistent unemployment problems occurring in industrialized countries, especially in Croatia. Croatia’s unemployment rate is mostly higher than the EU’s average, and the question has been raised if green jobs can help in its reduction. However, the definition of green jobs is still blurred and its measurement is not widely accepted and registered. The purpose of this paper is to describe the definition of green jobs and their measurement issues, with special reference to Croatian green jobs. First, the idea of measurement via input-output tables is presented and later the analysis is conducted on Eurostat data on green jobs. The main conclusion of this paper is that green jobs currently represent a small share of overall employment in Croatia. Also, measurement based on input-output tables is possible in Croatia, though further work is required. Finally, green jobs represent an opportunity for Croatia to stimulate green industry and green growth.

sustainable development, green economy, green jobs, IOT, Croatia

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