Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change addresses green job creation in response to a parliamentary question. The response highlights the potential of various sectors and schemes to engage a green-skilled workforce and emphasizes the importance of the circular economy and waste management. It also notes the role of state and UT governments in improving conditions for informal sector workers and integrating waste management.
Key Points / Main Content:
Green Job Potential:
* Sectors like renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, and environmental conservation, along with schemes like Smart City Mission and National Solar Mission, offer green job opportunities.
* Repair, refurbishment, and recycling markets create jobs requiring minimal to highly skilled workers.
* Recycling 10,000 tonnes of waste products can generate approximately 115 jobs.
State and UT Government Roles:
* State and UT governments are crucial in improving working conditions and income stability for informal sector waste management workers.
* Many have trained Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for waste collection, sorting, and transportation.
Skilling and Training Programs:
* Universities and institutes are conducting skilling and training programs.
* Over 4 lakh candidates have been certified under the Skill Council for Green Jobs.
* Over 30 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) facilitate need-based training programmes.
Circular Economy and Waste Management:
* Mission LiFE emphasizes circular economy principles (reduce, repair, reuse, recycle).
* Projected waste generation in 2030 and 2050 presents an opportunity to transform waste into economic value.
* The government focuses on 11 waste areas to promote a circular economy.
* The circular economy could create an additional 33 lakh jobs, supplementing the existing 50 lakh.
Challenges and Implementation:
* Challenges remain in infrastructure, investment, technology, skills, and integrating the informal sector.
* The Ministry has notified regulations on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for various waste types to implement the circular economy.
* Implementing the EPR framework creates a sustainable waste management ecosystem, promotes resource recovery, and integrates the informal recycling sector.
Impact Analysis:
State and UT Governments:
* Impact: Responsible for providing improved working conditions and income stability to informal sector workers in waste management and recycling.
* Action Required: Equip and train Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for waste collection, sorting, and transportation.
Informal Sector Workers:
* Impact: Opportunity for integration into the formal recycling sector, enhanced contribution, improved working conditions, and income stability.
* Action Required: Participate in training programs and adapt to formal waste management practices.
Skill Councils (SSCs):
* Impact: Key role in facilitating need-based training programs for green jobs.
* Action Required: Continue providing training and certification for green jobs.
Producers/Manufacturers:
* Impact: Subject to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations for various waste streams, requiring them to manage the end-of-life of their products.
* Action Required: Comply with EPR regulations by establishing systems for waste collection, recycling, and disposal.
Key Entities Referenced
Delhi NCR: A region encompassing Delhi and its surrounding National Capital Region, where the government aims to integrate green job creation to combat pollution.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The Indian government ministry responsible for environmental and climate-related policies and initiatives.
Smart City Mission: An initiative that has the potential of engaging green skilled workforce.
National Solar Mission: A scheme that has the potential of engaging green skilled workforce.
Kerala Haritha Karma Sena: A Self-Help Group (SHG) in Kerala equipped and trained for waste collection, sorting, and transportation.
Skill Council for Green Jobs: One of the Sector Skill Councils (SSC) under which over 4 lakh candidates have been certified.
Mission LiFE: An initiative that emphasizes the importance of circular economy principles: reduce, repair, reuse, recycle.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): A market-based regulatory approach used by the MoEFCC for managing waste streams like plastic packaging, batteries, e-waste, and others.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3537
TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025
Green Job Creation
3537. SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) whether the Government has integrated green job creation as a strategy to fight
pollution in Delhi NCR;
(b) the details of any skilling or employment programmes launched in Delhi in connection
with air quality improvement;
(c) whether youth from vulnerable or pollution-impacted areas like North East Delhi are
being targeted; and
(d) if so, the number of persons trained and employed under such green initiatives?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (d): The sectors like renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture,
environmental conservation, sectors that are addressing environmental concerns and schemes
like Smart City Mission and the National Solar Mission have the potential of engaging green
skilled workforce.
New products/ services based on repair, refurbishment/ recycling are the new markets
which have a wide array of jobs for minimally skilled roles in waste collection, semi-skilled
role in repair, refurbishment/ recycling, and highly skilled roles in design & re-engineering. As
per estimate, recycling of every 10,000 tonnes of waste products generates approximately 115
jobs.
The role of State and UTs Govt. (s) is very important for providing improved working
conditions and income stability to enhance the contribution of informal sector workers and
integration of waste management & recycling sector. Several State/UT Govt.(s) have
equipped/trained Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for waste collection, sorting and transportation, for
example: Kerala (Haritha Karma Sena), Chhattisgarh (Swachhta Didis), Odisha (Women
SHGs) & Maharashra (SwaCh cooperative).
Several skilling/training programs through universities/institutes for skill development
by States/ UTs are going on. There are over 30 Sector Skill Councils (SSC) facilitating need
based training programmes. Over 4 lakh candidates have been certified under Skill Council for
green jobs, which is one of the SSC.The Mission LiFE also emphasizes the importance of circular economy principles -
reduce, repair, reuse, recycle. The Country’s projected waste generation in years 2030 and 2050
presents a huge opportunity to transform waste from ‘environment bad’ to ‘economic good’.
The Government has identified 11 focus areas, namely, solid waste, plastic waste, e-waste,
battery waste, liquid waste, used oil, waste tyre, end-of-life vehicles waste, metal scrap,
construction & demolition waste and hazardous waste for promoting circular economy. The
circular economy has the potential to create additional 33 lakh employment, adding to the
current 50 lakh, in a wide range of roles for diverse skillsets. There is a significant progress in
skilling/training and also there is need to address challenges like infrastructure, investment,
technology, skills & informal sector integration.
To implement Circular Economy, MoEF&CC has notified regulations on market based
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in respect of plastic packaging waste, battery waste,
e-waste, waste tyres, used oil, end-of-life vehicles, construction & demolition waste and non-
ferrous metal scrap.
Implementation of EPR framework creates a sustainable ecosystem for
environmentally sound management of wastes which provides additional revenues and
promotes integration of informal recycling sector into formal sector, along with recovery of
resources from waste. Promotion of recycling eco-system under EPR framework provides
opportunities for creation of lakhs of green jobs.
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