Leiden, Netherlands, 20 September 2024 – Francesco Vona, a SkiLMeeT researcher and the Director of Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), addressed the labour market implications of climate policies and presented a new method for evaluating the carbon content of jobs at the workshop “The Employment Dimension of the Green Economy” in Brussels on September 18.
In his presentation, “Climate Policies and the Carbon Content of Jobs,” Vona showed the results of research, conducted in collaboration with Giovanni Marin, on workers’ vulnerability to climate policies. Using data from France, they constructed an occupation-based index of the carbon content of 400 jobs between 2003 and 2018. Their findings indicate that carbon-intensive jobs gradually reduce their emissions per worker, are geographically concentrated, and are significantly affected by changes in automation and trade.
The researchers also found that energy prices, which reflect climate policies, have a more significant impact on wages and employment in carbon-intensive jobs. Vona argued that assessing job vulnerability based on specific occupations provides clearer and more precise insights into the impact of climate policies than a sector-based approach.
The event was organised by the Joint Research Centre and the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, and focused on the employment challenges and opportunities posed by Europe’s transition to a green economy.
