August 29, 2024
Dr Saudamini Zutshi, Partnership Association Manager, Purpose, spoke at a virtual panel discussion on the theme “Adapting to Tomorrow: Climate Change and India’s Workforce”, organised by CUTS International on August 29 to discuss aspects of climate change and the future of work including the disproportionate impact of climate change on the informal workforce, especially women.
The discussions brought out aspects such as the construction and agriculture sectors suffer from heat-related productivity losses, while micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) struggle with limited resources and support, and gig workers face significant risks, on account of lacking social protection and basic amenities. Despite these challenges, climate change presents opportunities in form of green job creation and improved labour conditions, particularly in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Prodipto Ghosh, former Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Distinguished Fellow, CUTS, discussed the need to support the informal workforce in adapting to changes, especially given that there will be some job losses but also a few opportunities due to climate change adaptation. Dr Ghosh said there is a need to make educated decisions based on quantitative and qualitative factors to handle the uncertainties and dangers linked with climate change, ensuring they are better equipped for the future.
A B Chakravarthy, India Country Director, Upaya Ventures stressed that the focus should be on income generation of communities adversely affected by climate change. Local governments, non-profit organisations, and private-sector businesses should collaborate to support climate change adaptation by promoting sustainable livelihoods in vulnerable areas, said Chakravarthy.
Dr Zutshi further said addressing the effects of climate change on migration, health, and pay necessitates fast action. And that by utilising communication tactics, public campaigns, and cultural activities, difficult climate change concepts should be simplified for local populations. This method ensures that ideas are both practicable and effective when applied at the grassroots level, stated Dr. Zutshi.
Dr Kiran Somvanshi, Assistant General Manager, The Economic Times, gave examples of third-party employment providers’ climate-change accountability, climate-related insurance and technology-driven productivity improvements that can significantly improve the working conditions of India’s informal workers, allowing them to thrive within the ecosystem. However, Dr Somvanshi warned, tech could do away with jobs thus should be used in a such manner that it aids in people’s work.
Further, it is important to note that a significant amount of work is required to provide MSMEs with skills and awareness to embrace green job solutions for climate resilience, according to Neha Kumar, Head of South Asia Program, Climate Bonds Initiative. To become resilient, Kumar opined, MSMEs require a significant amount of help to capture the emerging opportunities and weather the effects of climate change.
There was also a discussion in that larger companies could handhold small companies in meeting goals of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria though there are also instances of larger companies pushing dirty activities up value chains. The panel discussion concluded with a concurrence among the panellists and participants on the need to generate awareness and capacity building, including on ESG issues and stressed the role of civil society in ensuring voices of informal workers are heard and green transition that is taking place is just, especially for the informal workforce.
For further details, contact to:
Sanchita Chatterjee, scj@cuts.org
Tasmita Sengupta, Research Associate, tse@cuts.org