Activities of Ulla TØRNÆS related to 2014/2238(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Green Employment Initiative: Tapping into the job creation potential of the green economy PDF (235 KB) DOC (172 KB)
Amendments (32)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to the ILO/UNEP definition of a green job as any decent job that contributes to preserving or restoring the quality of the environment whether it is in agriculture, industry, services or administration,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas global trends such as the inefficient use of resources, the unsustainable pressure on the environment, and climate change and growing social exclusion and inequalities are close to the limits beyond which irreversible impacts on our societies and the natural environment cannot be prevented;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the lack of a coherent policy response to tackle these challenges risks leaving a significant part of the employment potential of a green and socially inclusive transitiontransition including the creation of better and sustainable jobs unused;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas in response to these threats, we are seeing the development of new sectors, a change within many others and the decline of some sectors, such as those which are heavily polluting; whereas, with regard to the latter sector, special attention needs to be paid to the workforce in terms of retraining and alternative employment; whereas investments in offshore renewable energy has the potential to significantly boost job-creation including in sparsely populated areas;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU and its Member States made a commitment, at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in Cancun in 2010, to ensure ‘a just transition of the workforce that creates decent work and quality jobs’; whereas a just transition for all towards an environmentally sustainable economy needs to be well managed and must contribute to the objective of decent work for all, social inclusion and the eradication of povertycreating better and sustainable employment as well as more highly skilled jobs;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the potential for expansion in ‘green’ jobs is hampered by a skills deficiency and mismatch caused by a number of factors;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas SMEs are important generators of employment and have led the way in many ‘'green’' sectors, but may face particular difficulties in anticipating the skills needed and fulfilling the job potential of the transition;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that a transition towards sustainable societies and economies, including sustainable patterns of consumption and production, generates the potential both to create new jobs and to transform existing employment into green jobs in virtually all sectors and across the entire value chain; emphasises in this regard the importance of striking the right balance between an ambitious and coherent policy for the greening of the European economy while at the same strengthening European competitiveness;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Notes that some Member States have made considerable progress in the greening of the economy, encourages in this regard the sharing of best practices between Member States on their progress made in this field and the efforts of their green policies;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Just transition’ and decent workjob-creation
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Commission’s statement that restructuring should be handled in a socially responsible way while at the same time recognizing the need for companies to restructure;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to commit to a ‘just 'transition roadmap’' that combines ambitious environmental goals with strong social requirements, including the promotion of decent work, healthy and safe working conditions, and trainan ambitious strategy for creating better and sustainable jobs including addressing andthe skills programmes, and the strengthening of worker information, consultation and participation rights regarding matters concerning sustainable development as well as of effective workforce representationmismatch in Europe in general but with a particular focus on meeting the skills needs of the greener economy;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the revised EU Health and Safety strategy should take into account specific riskdevelopments in new sectors;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that anticipating change in employment needrequires proactive transformation management, improved high-quality data-collection on the needs of the labour market, an emphasis by the European higher education institutions to meet the needs of the labour market and that long- term planning is essential for ensuring an effective transition and stableincreased employment; stresses the important role played by local and regional authorities in the transition to the greener economy in education, infrastructure, supporting local businesses and creating employment services;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the importance of workrepresentatives from the social partners’' participation in these changes; calls for the involvement of trade union ‘social partners' 'green representatives’ working with employers on increasing sustainability at their workplaces' on a voluntary basis working together on strengthening the greening of the economy;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the tools for skills development and the forecasting of skill needs proposed by the Commission; stresses, however, that more ambitious action is neededand a particular focus on SMEs is needed; believes that in order to anticipate future skills' needs, all labour market stakeholders have to be strongly involved in all levels;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that these strategies should include the anticipation and identification of skill gaps and targeted vocational and lifelong training programmes with a clear focus on matching skills and jobs with the aim of increasing employment; stresses the need to actively include in the strategies both displaced workers and low-skilled workers at risk of being excluded from the labour market; stresses that steps need to be taken to counter the gender imbalance in certain sectors;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls onEncourages Member States to integrate sustainable development,green and environmental competences and skills, into training and education systems; recalls the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on Member States to integrate sustainable development, and environmental competences and skills, into training and education systems, in particular further strengthening VET systems; recalls the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses the need for targeted action by public authorities and services which would involve all labour market stakeholders, including employers' and employees' organisations, to bridge the skills gap; calls on the Member States to have mechanisms in place to train staff in employment authorities and services to mainstream skills for green employment across labour market policies; stresses the importance of European education institutions to put more effort in adopting their programmes to meet the needs of the greener economy and the labour market in general;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt ambitious and integrated regulatory, fiscal and financial frameworks to guaranteefor sustainable investment and encourage innovation, thereby fully unlocking the employment potential of these changes; highlights that policies should be developed in a framework of long-term horizons that includes binding targets where necessarytargets as well as indicators to measure progress towards their achievement;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the need for consistent policies that promote renewable energy production and energy efficiency with a view to triggering local development and creating local jobs;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Member States to fully respect and implement the new provisions of the revised EU legislation on public procurement, and to introduce proactively environmental and social criteria in their public procurement policies in order to create sustainable jobsboost job- creation in the greener economy;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. CStrongly condemns the withdrawal of the circular economy legislative package, the provisions of which would have contributed to creating up to 180 000 jobs in the EU waste management sector alone; therefore calls on the Commission to honour its commitment to propose a more ambitious waste legislation that makes full use of the significant job potential of the circular economy without delaywithout delay that should at least create a similar number of jobs, which should be underpinned by a new impact assessment of the Commission;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission to use the EU Semester and the review of the Europe 2020 strategy to support green job creation; calls on the Commission to issue country- specific recommendations that contribute to higher employment and smaller ecological footprints, including a shift from labour to environmental taxation and the phasing out of counterproductive subsidies by 2020;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission to renew its commitment to the Europe 2020 strategy and to issue its mid-term review without delay; calls on the Commission to introduce quality employment and resource efficiency as lead goals; calls on the Commission to propose more ambitious social and environmental targets for 2030 and 2050;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote quality investments geared towards generating societal benefits; calls on the Commission and the Member States to focus investment in areas with a positive labour market impact with the aim of creating decent jobs and fighting unemployment;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Highlights the fact that investing in energy efficiency promotes local job creation and local economic development, and that ensuring energy efficiency in buildings is the most cost-effective way to offer long-term solutions to energy povertan important element to ensuring a more efficient use of European energy;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. RecommendConsiders that climate, renewable energy and energy efficiency targets shcould be considered investment targets;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls onEncourages the Commission and the Member States to useconsider using the 2016 post- electoral revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) as an opportunity to promote the greener transition of our economies;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Supports the objectives of the Green Action Plan for SMEs and the SMEs- oriented actions it proposes to improve resource efficiency, support green entrepreneurship, exploiting opportunities for greener value chains and facilitating market access for green SMEs and microenterprises;