Good green jobs and labour migration: Opportunities for urban leaders

While climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time, the way in which people adapt to its impacts, including through migration, does not need to be. Evidence shows that climate breakdown is increasingly driving migration, especially towards urban areas in the Global South, yet limited attention has been given to how human mobility – and labour migration in particular – can positively contribute to the green transition. At the same time, greater understanding is needed on how the green transition can itself present opportunities for economic inclusion at the origin, transit point, and destination of migratory trends.

While labour migration due to climate change is recognised as an emerging area of policy interest, the local and urban dimension of the issue remains largely unaddressed. This is even though cities are on the frontline of challenges and are also at the forefront of developing and implementing solutions.

In this light, this policy brief explores the intersection between the green transition and labour migration, with a local perspective on good green jobs creation. The brief also showcases over 35 innovative city-led actions across five key areas of opportunity, wherein mayors are already leading by example, but where more national and international support is needed to bring positive solutions to scale.

Use the buttons below to download the full report, or the shorter executive summary available in both English and Spanish.

Good green jobs and labour migration in cities

Using a range of city examples from across the world, the report shows that, at the origin, transit point, or destination of human mobility patterns, cities and mayors are already:

• Driving the creation of good green jobs for all, using climate investments to enhance the inclusion of people on the move, youth at risk of moving, and other vulnerable residents, while also meeting cities’ climate action targets.
• Developing a green, inclusive, and diverse workforce, harnessing migrants’ economic contribution as part of wider strategies of skills building for all urban populations.

The brief also shows how cities can use their formal and soft powers to deliver inclusive actions on three cross-cutting areas, by:

• Investing in data and evidence that inform local plans, forecast future labour market needs, and make the case for stronger national and international support, including by leveraging city to city cooperation or strengthened coordination with the national government.
• Developing local, national and international partnerships help meet their green and just transition goals, leaving no one behind.
• Engaging in mayoral diplomacy and advocacy, to influence national and global finance and policy outcomes in favour of local governments and frontline communities.

Recommendations and calls to action

Drawing from consultations with subject matter experts and cities from multiple regions, the brief also puts forward the following recommendations to national governments, multilateral development banks (MDBs), the private sector, inter-governmental organisations, and other partners, which cities can refer to in their discussions with these stakeholders. These recommendations include:

1. Invest in city-led climate action that creates good green jobs in cities of origin, transit, and destination. Stakeholders should accelerate the localisation of development and humanitarian funding, with a focus on good green jobs creation, and ensure climate finance supporting green job creation in cities is directly accessible to local governments.
2. Ramp up urban workforce development programmes in cities, ensuring that a growing demand for green labour is met with a qualified, inclusive, and diverse workforce. Stakeholders should increase investment in education and training, develop national workforce development plans and support local governments in their implementation, and work with cities to acquire data on skill composition and skill needs for different green sectors and demographic groups.
3. Remove barriers for migrants to access employment, prioritizing green urban sectors where shortages of labour and skills are most acutely felt. Stakeholders should work to reduce the legal barriers and timeframe for newcomers to obtain work permits, improve international recognition of education qualifications, and strengthen local governments’ technical and financial capacity to deliver services to support the economic inclusion of newcomers.
4. Establish labour pathways focused on green skills and urban sectors in higher demand for labour, unlocking benefits for both countries of origin and of destination, including for climate migrants. Stakeholders should develop green skill mobility partnerships and talent pools that are connected to local shortage occupation lists, develop safe pathways for climate-vulnerable communities, and partner with cities and businesses in piloting circular mobility programmes.
5. Work with cities to promote decent working conditions, social protection, and dialogue, starting by driving recognition of informal workers – and migrant workers among them. Stakeholders should recognise the informal sector as an essential contributor to the local and national green transition process and establish dialogues that engage businesses, unions, and informal workers to co-design and co-deliver inclusive climate action and just transition plans.

This report has been produced by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, in partnership with Climate Migration Council and Mayors Migration Council.