EL POTENCIAL DE LOS EMPLEOS VERDES EN LAC

This policy brief by Transforma explores the potential for green jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) as a driver for a just transition and community resilience. Based on 2023 community projects in Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, the document analyzes the challenges of labor informality and provides sector-specific opportunities and policy recommendations to formalize sustainable employment.

• Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has the potential to create approximately 15 million green jobs by 2030, specifically within the energy, forestry, transport, and ecosystem restoration sectors.
• Labor informality remains a critical barrier to the establishment of green jobs in the region. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 140 million people in LAC worked in informal conditions, and while employment has recovered, informal jobs accounted for 40% to 80% of the net increase between 2020 and 2022.
• In Colombia, the bioeconomy sector is a significant opportunity, with the potential to generate up to 2.5 million jobs (both environmental and green) by 2030. As of 2021, bioeconomic sectors already generated 28.9% of total national employment.
• Chile's circular economy is estimated to contribute up to 100,000 green jobs by 2030. The country has also implemented a Just Transition Strategy to protect vulnerable populations during the decarbonization of the energy sector, specifically regarding the retirement of coal plants.
• The document distinguishes between 'environmental jobs' and 'green jobs' based on Colombian DANE criteria: environmental jobs reduce pressure on natural resources but lack a focus on labor quality, whereas green jobs must both reduce environmental pressure and be 'decent' (providing dignity and wellbeing).
• Post-pandemic economic recovery in LAC did not prioritize sustainability, with less than 8.1% of rescue package spending allocated to green initiatives.
• The renewable energy sector in LAC is advanced, representing 33% of its supply compared to 13% globally. Brazil is among the top ten global job creators in renewable energy, and countries including Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Costa Rica are promoting the green hydrogen industry.
• Case studies in San José del Guaviare, Colombia, highlight the use of bioeconomy and nature-based solutions (SbN) to create sustainable livelihoods. These include sustainable nature tourism focused on Amazonian gastronomy and apiculture (beekeeping) to encourage generational renewal in the countryside and forest conservation.
• In Chile, the Ayni SPA associative enterprise in La Serena demonstrates the potential of agroecology to build resilience in water-scarce regions. However, the lack of a national institutionalized concept of 'green jobs' and specific certifications for agroecological bio-inputs hinder the formal recognition and scaling of such initiatives.
• The document recommends that governments institutionalize the concept of green jobs, generate detailed statistical data (by gender and sector), and design intersectional policies that target vulnerable groups, particularly women and youth.

APA

Criado, J., Piña, M., & Téllez, L. (2023). EL POTENCIAL DE LOS EMPLEOS VERDES EN LAC. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/el-potencial-de-los-empleos-verdes-en-lac.pdf

Chicago

Criado, July, Matías Piña, and Lorena Téllez. EL POTENCIAL DE LOS EMPLEOS VERDES EN LAC. Transforma, 2023. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/el-potencial-de-los-empleos-verdes-en-lac.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Criado |first1=July |last2=Piña |first2=Matías |last3=Téllez |first3=Lorena |title=EL POTENCIAL DE LOS EMPLEOS VERDES EN LAC |publisher=Transforma |date=2023 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/el-potencial-de-los-empleos-verdes-en-lac.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{criado2023potencial, author = {Criado, July and Piña, Matías and Téllez, Lorena}, title = {{EL POTENCIAL DE LOS EMPLEOS VERDES EN LAC}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2023}, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/el-potencial-de-los-empleos-verdes-en-lac.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }