This session (March 20, 2025 8:30AM CST), co-organised by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the ICE-convened Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) Programme, will explore the contours of the labour market in relation to future infrastructure projections, and consider how infrastructure policymakers should respond to ensure long term needs are met.
As more sustainable forms of infrastructure are prioritised and new innovative solutions emerge, the skills required and related employment opportunities to achieve a more sustainable future must be scoped in advance. For example, the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report 2025” highlights that environmental engineers, renewable energy engineers and data warehousing specialists will be among the fastest growing jobs by 2030.
The session will provide an opportunity to showcase ILO, UNEP and IUCN’s recently released report on “Decent Work in Nature-based Solutions (NbS)”, which finds that through targeted investments, NbS employment could increase by up to 32 million jobs globally. This webinar topic aligns with UNEP’s Principle 5: Enhancing Economic Benefits, as well as the recent ICE report on “ICE insights into the use of low- or no-build solutions in strategic infrastructure planning”.
The event is the first in a series of UNEP & EBI webinars on sustainable infrastructure, focused on EBI Principle 4: Scoping ahead to drive success, connecting with specific UNEP Principle 1: Strategic Planning and Principle 8: Fiscal Sustainability and Innovative Financing.
The series of webinars will provide an opportunity for governments and other stakeholders to discuss some of the world’s most pressing infrastructure topics, sharing experiences and lessons learned from diverse contexts.
