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.
Overview
Southeast Asia’s remarkable economic growth has relied heavily on natural resources. Today, the region faces significant environmental challenges. Environmental degradation, pollution and biodiversity loss from deforestation, natural resource depletion and overfishing are starting to have economic and social consequences. The region is particularly vulnerable to climate change-related disasters due to the high percentages of its population living in coastal areas and having jobs that are linked to the environment. These people are often already in precarious situations.