‘Green Jobs’ to create awareness

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The Environment Ministry has introduced a new concept called “Green Jobs” to create awareness and encourage environmentally friendly technology and behaviour.

The Ministry through this concept intends to change the direction of economic and social development activities towards sustainable development, to transform the country’s economy into a green economy, a Ministry spokesman told the Sunday Observer.

In promoting green jobs, the Ministry organised a Green Job Awards program last year to recognise and honour people and organisations who are engaged in Green Jobs.

The spokesman said that 10 areas were considered for the Green Job Awards Program.

They are biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, agriculture, climate change and disaster management, transport, power and energy, industrial and enterprise development, waste management and pollution control, water resource management, soil conservation and land improvement, urban development and spatial planning and environmental education and campaigns.

He said that the applications will be evaluated by committees under each area and five Green Job Awardees were selected under the individual and organisational categories in the fields of waste management, pollution control, water resource management and environment education.

Environmental friendly jobs should be created to maintain a healthy environment. Therefore, the Ministry decided to introduce this Green Job concept to stress the importance of environmental friendly technology and behaviour, he said.