Towards Greener and More Inclusive Societies in Southeast Asia
Over 100 million workers in Southeast Asia have jobs that are directly or closely linked to the environment, making them vulnerable to climate change impacts. These same workers likely earn at least 20% lower than the national average and are largely in informal employment. The region’s necessary transition towards greener growth could affect them in several ways: some sectors will create jobs and others will lose jobs or disappear altogether. Understanding the effects of both climate change and green growth policies on jobs and people is thus essential for making the transition in Southeast Asia an inclusive one. The study explores these issues, with emphasis on the potential effects on labour of an energy transition in Indonesia, and of a transition in the region’s agricultural sector, illustrated by a simulated conversion from conventional to organic rice farming.
Executive summary
Southeast Asia is committed to promote environmentally sustainable economic growth. This has been demonstrated by the adoption and endorsement of an array of regional declarations and blueprints by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Since the mid-2010s, ASEAN countries have been mapping out green growth strategies. All ten member states have green growth objectives in their national development plans as of 2023. Despite these commitments, the region is not on track to achieve the sustainable development goals and is showing slow progress, even regression on environment-related goals. Environmental degradation due to the increased frequency of extreme weather events, exacerbated by deforestation and overfishing, continues unabated, threatening the working conditions and livelihoods of millions of Southeast Asians.
Also available in: French
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