Green economy increases employment in Indonesia
“Investment in the green economy is estimated to create 7 to 10 times more jobs than conventional investment, mainly because the jobs in the green sector are more labour intensive,” said Mahatmi Parwitasari Saronto, manpower director at National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) at a virtual conference on green jobs recently.
The potential to create jobs via green investments can be attributed to the intervention in renewable energy, electric vehicle technology, energy efficiency and waste management.
Nevertheless, mainstreaming green jobs comes with its challenges.
For one, Indonesia has not defined what green jobs exactly mean. “There is still a very limited understanding of green jobs. There is not yet an agreed definition to be used consistently, especially in policymaking,” Mahatmi said.
Another challenge is the shortage of relevant skills. Education and training that are dedicated to equipping workers with green skills are also still severely lacking in quality and quantity, according to Mahatmi.
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Nonetheless, Bappenas is working closely with German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in a green employment project called the Innovation and Investment for Inclusive Sustainable Economic Development (ISED).
Germany will assist Indonesia in formulating policies to promote green jobs, said German ambassador to Indonesia Ina Lepel at the same conference, according to Jakarta Globe.
