In October 2023, the ITCILO started a 4-week pilot course on job creation through services. The objective of the course was to foster capacity building on the importance of job creation through ecosystem services for decision-makers in different sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean and in Spain.

Half of the world's Gross Domestic Product is linked to natural capital that provides a range of social, economic and cultural services. Simply put, without nature the world could lose half of its Gross Domestic Product. Many of these services are in turn directly related to the generation of direct and indirect employment and economic opportunities. 

A first study by the ILO in collaboration with WWF in 2020 estimated that 1.2 billion jobs in sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism depend on the effective management and sustainability of healthy ecosystems. To ensure the continuity of these employment opportunities, it is crucial to implement practices that promote the sustainable management, protection and restoration of ecosystems such as nature-based solutions (NbS) – where humans work with nature to address societal challenges. These, in turn, offer the opportunity to create immediate jobs "without harm" to nature.

Biological diversity and ecosystem health are deteriorating significantly, posing an enormous risk to human existence and quality of life. Ninety-four percent of species have been reduced since 1970 in Latin America, making it the region with the highest numbers. The problem is that in many cases nature's services cannot be replaced and are irreplaceable. For example, the destruction of the Amazon threatens the supply of drinking water or the purification of the air.

The labour figures make a strong case for the development of national policies at both national and local levels. Today, 75 million people work on nature-based solutions (NbS). There is the potential to create another 20 million new jobs by 2030. However, it is essential to implement "just transition" policies to facilitate this growth.

The course lasted 4 weeks where:

• A select group of 40 participants from Spain and 14 Latin American countries entered the course, guaranteeing personalized attention and extensive resources for each attendee.
• Over the course of 4 meticulously crafted modules, which included interactive sessions with more than 13 experts from prestigious institutions such as the ILO, IUCN, WWF and WRI.
• After the presentations by the experts in each session, participants were given more than 30 minutes to ask questions and delve into the areas of green jobs and ecosystem services.
• Thanks to funding from the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy, the course was made free of charge, making knowledge and experience available to all.
• Breaking with convention, the final module was not only taught, but co-created by the participants themselves. The result? Five crucial empowering conditions for the region to foster green employment opportunities:
  • Boosting capacity building
  • Mobilisation of economic and financial instruments
  • Planning and land use
  • Inclusive Governance Processes
  • Impact assessment and management (+/-)

Blanca Patino (Technical Officer on Green Jobs for the ILO office in Latin America and the Caribbean) believes that, the promotion of ecosystem services in the region supports the achievement of environmental goals and fosters greater coherence between international and national commitments, especially with regard to the fair and equitable sharing of biodiversity benefits. Diego Portugal Del Pino (ITCILO Associate Programme Officer) underscores that perspective facilitates the understanding of an approach grounded in social justice, which addresses the deep roots of inequality, informality and fragility in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Given that the next Conference of Parties (CoP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity will be in its 16th edition in Cali, Colombia; green jobs through NbS can play a key role in achieving the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.