Transition to green economy to generate up to 60 mln jobs: UN report

GENEVA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The transformation to a greener economy could generate 15 million to 60 million additional jobs globally over the next two decades, said a UN report released on Thursday.

The study "Working towards sustainable development: Opportunities for decent work and social inclusion in a green economy" was conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The report said though some jobs would be lost during the transition period, it is possible to achieve a net gain of 0.5 percent to 2 percent of total global employment.

"We don't have to choose between protecting the environment and creating jobs," said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia.

At least 1.5 billion people, or half of the global workforce, will be affected by the transition to a greener economy, the report said, adding that tens of millions of workers would be lifted out of poverty.

According to the study, the sectors expected to play a central role during the transition include agriculture, forestry, fishing, energy, resource-intensive manufacturing, recycling, building and transport.

The report also said the gains in employment are likely to be higher in emerging economies and developing countries,than in industrialized countries, because the former may leapfrog to green technology rather than replace obsolete resource-intensive infrastructure.