ABSTRACT

This study is set to explore and analyze the potential opportunities of green jobs and sustainable development for the energy sector in Pakistan. Given that the concept of Sustainable Development has become a necessary part of the global agenda and as such is unavoidable for everyone on the planet, the research on how to work towards it in a more effective and efficient way is an ongoing exercise in various fields. Innovative solutions are being researched for, in all spheres of life; whether it has to do with eradicating poverty, improving healthcare outcomes, promoting education or combating climate change implications. A relatively new take on studying and consequently promoting sustainable development in developing countries is to examine the influence of new “green” policies and test how they could be used for improving outcomes. Considering the lack of literature available on the subject in the Pakistani context, this study attempts to fill the gap by recognizing factors that contribute positively to sustainable growth, analyzing the current status of the green sector in the country, with a particular focus on the energy sector and then further devising ways to inculcate them in national policies and to promote them. This will be achieved through a mixed research methodology of case studies, primary surveys and secondary desk research. The aim of the research methodology is to find evidence of positive causal linkages between an increase in green jobs within economic, social, and environmental components. The study also analyzes the nature of existing green jobs within the renewable energy sector (including whether they qualify as decent work), as well as the skills required by the energy workforce to transition towards greening their jobs. These findings contribute to the idea that the government is on the right path with its promotion of green activities.