The job quality side of climate change

Ensuring high job quality is a prerogative of the EU. The issue becomes particularly salient in the context of climate change. Workers will experience the effects of climate change in many ways: job insecurity, changes to their work tasks and responsibilities and changes in their workplaces. Eurofound’s report on job quality and climate change outlines this complex relationship, including the implication of green tasks in selected sectors.

In a nutshell, the report concludes that:

• Approximately 40% of workers in the EU will experience profound changes in their job tasks as our economies adapt to climate change and implement climate mitigation strategies. Jobs in greater demand have poorer job quality and increased risk for health and well-being, whereas ‘new and emerging’ jobs show the most positive balance of demands and resources.  This boosts the so-called ‘enhanced skills’ jobs towards the European average job quality.
• Climate change is associated with higher exposure to climate change hazards. This leads to lower standards of job quality, productivity loss and an increase in job and work insecurity. Obviously, increased heat is one of the main stressors. Several other factors should not be overlooked, such as air pollution, UV radiation and communicable vector-borne diseases.
• Different sectors would have approaches tailored to the influence of climate change. Workers employed outdoors (farmers, fishermen, builders, etc) will be particularly affected. Company practices can make a difference too, helping or hindering progress in improving job quality.
• Climate change is a dynamic process. Hence, the quality of greening jobs and those most exposed to climate change risks need to be continuously monitored.