By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Oct. 21, GNA – The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment (MLJE), in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), has opened a four-day National Social Dialogue on Green Jobs and Policies to train stakeholders on climate change, just transition, and the world of work.
The dialogue brought together representatives from the tripartite committee: government, employers and trade unions, as well as experts from the ILO.
Mr. Hamidu Adakur Ugu (Esq), the Chief Director of the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, stated that the workshop and dialogue come at an important moment in Ghana’s development journey, adding that around the world, the green and circular economy was redefining how societies produce, consume, and work.
Mr. Ugu said as Ghana was transitioning towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy, it must ensure that its workforce, enterprises, and communities were well-prepared and supported to adapt and benefit from this transformation.
He indicated that the workshop was to build the capacity of Ghana’s tripartite plus partners, alongside civil society, academia and development partners, to understand and respond effectively to emerging issues around the green and circular economy, just transition, and the future of work.
He added that it was also aimed at facilitating a national dialogue that incorporates the voices and perspectives of all stakeholders into the revision of Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) under the Paris Agreement.
He explained that the process would ensure that the country’s climate commitments were inclusive, evidence-based, and employment-centred.
“The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment is deeply committed to ensuring that decent work and social dialogue are at the heart of Ghana’s green transition,” he said, adding that through the National Green Jobs Strategy (2021–2025) and related initiatives, they have begun building the policy foundations to develop and promote green and circular economy jobs, strengthen labour market information systems for emerging green sectors, integrate green skills into the country’s education and training systems, and promote gender equity and inclusion in all aspects of the transition.
The chief director, however, stated that for these initiatives to succeed, they needed the active participation and leadership of the tripartite constituents – the voices of employers, workers, and government, complemented by the insights of civil society, academia, and development partners.
“The green transition must be a just transition – one that protects existing jobs, creates new decent work opportunities, and ensures that no one is left behind. These discussions will generate concrete recommendations for integrating labour market, employment, and social dimensions into Ghana’s NDCs 3.0, strengthening our collective contribution to climate action and sustainable development,” he stated.
Mr. Ibrahim Muniru, Deputy Director, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), in a presentation, stated that just transition served as a framework for managing the social and economic impacts of the shift to low-carbon industries that may be negatively affected by the energy transition.
Mr. Muniru added that Ghana’s commitment to a just transition is formalised through policy instruments and programmes that provide a strategic roadmap for the coming decades.
He said the policy instruments were the Ghana Energy Transition Framework (Net-Zero by 2070), the Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP), and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), among others.
Dr. Lloyd Ngo, Project Manager, EU Ghana Skills Pact Project, said the way to handle climate change is through adaptation and putting in mitigation measures.
Dr. Ngo explained that with support from the European Union delegation in Ghana, they were running a four-year project with the ILO looking at the policy level to ensure that there is cohesion and coordination in terms of policy, especially along the environment, employment, energy and other sectors.
He it was also aimed at building the capacity for key stakeholders and social partners and looking at developing curriculums that would be affected by the just transition in terms of technology.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba