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Migration for climate action: how labour mobility can help the green transition

Overseas Development Institute May 12, 2022
Migration for climate action: how labour mobility can help the green transition

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Global climate targets require an unprecedented level and speed of transformation to decarbonize existing sectors, build new ones, and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Climate change also forces people to move. Yet governments and businesses have overlooked how migrants can contribute toward a low-carbon, greener future.

To do so, they must remove obstacles, create incentives, and foster pathways to harness the potential of migrant workforces to support green transitions. Governments and businesses must coordinate efforts on the green transition with migration and skills policies across four interlinked areas.

The research “Migration for climate action” looks at four case studies from around the world: Bangladesh (internal migration); Venezuela to Colombia; Indonesia to Malaysia; and China to the Democratic Republic of Congo, to see how this can be done.

1: Support green transitions with migrant workforces

Migrant workers can bring relevant education and skills to bridge labor gaps or support skills transfer:

  • Many Venezuelan migrants to Colombia have a background in the oil and gas industries and their construction skills can be harnessed to support Colombia’s ambitious new renewable energy projects and targets.
  • In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chinese workers are increasingly involved in mining cobalt, a key resource for batteries in electric vehicles and other products. With the right incentives, they can transfer skills needed for responsible and smart mining, as well as improved environmental standards, to the domestic workforce.

2: Make existing jobs for migrants green and decent

Many migrants work in sectors important for green transitions, but in forms of employment that exploit both them and the environment:

  • Malaysia’s palm oil plantations exploit the country’s environmental resources as well as low-skilled migrant workers from Indonesia. Partnerships to build skills for greener production and processing of this key crop could benefit both countries. Palm oil is difficult to substitute and important to both economies.
  • Migrant workers from elsewhere in the Democratic Republic of Congo and around Africa work in dire conditions in artisanal cobalt mining. They need to be integrated into efforts to transfer and develop skills for greener and safer cobalt extraction.

3: Create new green jobs for migrant and host workers

Where green employment opportunities are lacking, whether for migrant or host workers, countries can grow green jobs by ramping up efforts in established green sectors and diversifying into new ones:

  • To accelerate the creation of skilled green jobs for incoming migrants to cities as well as existing residents, Bangladesh will need to look to emerging sectors such as light engineering as well as established ones like ready-made garments. This also supports the country’s existing aim of diversifying export-oriented industries to improve the resilience of the economy.
  • The economic integration of Venezuelan migrants and the significant development of solar and wind energy are two policy priorities for Colombia. There is an opportunity to achieve both by creating green job opportunities that are open to Venezuelans as well as Colombians.

4: Foster green skills for current and future migrant workers

Where green skills are lacking, building them for both current and future migrant workers, as well as host community workers, can increase capacity and flexibility to meet green transition needs.

Mobility initiatives can also be used to develop green skills:

  • By facilitating green skills improvements with Venezuelan migrants, and recognizing their existing skills and educational qualifications, Colombia can expand the labor force for its green transition and tap into Venezuelan migrants’ generally high levels of education.
  • Skills to improve yields, decrease waste, and manage pollution from waste products are needed in the palm oil sector in both Malaysia and Indonesia. A partnership to develop the skills of Indonesian workers, whether they stay or migrate to Malaysia, could benefit both countries.