Over 20 million new jobs could be created in Europe’s green economy over the next decade if EU member states adopt Brussels’ new jobs package and make low-carbon industries central to their national employment plans.

The package has been released in response to spiralling unemployment in the EU-27 countries, which hit an all-time high of 10.2 per cent in February.

The new proposals, which are designed to help create a more dynamic labour market across the EU, identify the green economy as a means of cushioning the bloc against long-term structural changes that threaten Europe’s competiveness, while also providing an engine for growth alongside health services and ICT.

Welcoming the proposals, climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard wrote on social media site #Twitter that energy-efficiency measures could lead to two million jobs by 2020, increased recycling of key materials could create 560,000 new jobs by 2025, and 2.8 million people could work in renewable energy by the end of the decade.

The jobs package also calls for increases in environmental taxes and Hedegaard argued that around 1.5 million jobs could be created by switching taxes from labour to energy and emissions.

She also argued that those countries looking to undermine plans to adopt higher energy-efficiency targets as part of the Energy Efficiency Directive would damage Europe’s job prospects.

“If Europe does not step up its green economy efforts, we risk losing an immense source of quality jobs,” she said. “If we water down our efforts on energy efficiency, we water down the job potential as well.”

In related news, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has claimed 48 million new jobs could be created in the green economies of 12 countries if new low carbon investments amounting to two per cent of GDP are made over the next five years.

The ITUC used the Millennium Institute’s green investment model to predict middle income economies, such as Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and Bulgaria, could create up to 19 million jobs over five years, with the Brazilian construction industry alone generating up to 182 jobs per million dollars invested.

In addition, 28 million jobs could be created in developed economies, such as Australia, Germany, Spain and the USA over the same time period if governments and businesses continue to step up support for green projects.

The report also shows that Nepal and Ghana have the highest ratio of jobs for the amount of money spent – the model forecasts agriculture in Ghana could create 291 jobs per million dollars of investment.

“Governments must set targets for green jobs and provide the legislative and regulatory conditions so workers can have secure jobs and living wages, and for creating a healthy society and environment,” said Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary.

“The outlook for transitioning to a greener economy with decent work will benefit workers, business, national economies and future generations,” she added.