Adaptability – what happens to people?
Education and training (Principle 1 of the EPSR) are identified in the report as a prerequisite for an adaptive society. The HLG shares the European Commission’s assessment that the European Green Deal can create additional jobs overall. However, the prerequisite is that the transition to a climate-neutral economy and society is accompanied by the right measures.
ed* Nr. 01/2023 – Chapter 7
The consequences of climate change and the European Green Deal will inevitably be very different for different sectors and occupational groups. The green transformation will reduce jobs in traditional industrial sectors while creating new ones in other sectors. This effect is reinforced by digitisation. This double transformation requires a considerable adjustment to employment structures which must be accompanied by comprehensive qualification measures. This is also a core demand from the perspective of social insurance. A high level of social protection requires a high level of labour force participation. Employees must be empowered for this through a variety of measures. The social insurance system also makes a significant contribution to this through a wide range of preventive measures, continual development of occupational safety and health, and medical and occupational rehabilitation.
At the European level, this change is to be supported by the European Skills Agenda within the framework of “Fit for 55”.1 In the HLG’s view, this is an important step, but it must be followed by considerably greater efforts. The European Green Deal requires the empowerment of individuals.
The central measure for the transition to a climate-neutral economy and society is continued training and retraining of employees.
