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A closer look at just transition policies
Ghana

National Green Jobs Strategy 2021-2025

Region
Africa
Country
Ghana
Originator/Owner
Government ministries and agencies (national level)
Coordinating/Lead actor
Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment (MLJE)
Policy type
Strategies (plans, frameworks, roadmaps, blueprints)
Policy areas
Enterprise policies, Industrial and sectoral policies, Macroeconomic and growth policies, Occupational safety and health, Skills development, Social dialogue and tripartism, Social protection
Environmental focus
Climate change
Target groups
Employers, Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), Other, Women, Workers
Sectoral focus
Agriculture, Forestry and Land use, Energy, Infrastructure, construction and related sectors, Maritime and transport, Public services, utilities and health, Tourism
Crosscutting themes
Circular economy, Employment/job creation, Gender equality, Informal economy, Nature Based Solutions
Date of Adoption
22 Mar 2021
Timeframe
2021-2025
22 Mar 2021
Adoption
2025
End of validity
National Green Jobs Strategy 2021-2025
English, PDF

Ghana's Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, with ILO support, developed this strategy to ensure the country's shift toward a green economy creates decent jobs.

The strategy seeks to leverage the shift towards a green economy as an engine of job creation that can contribute to addressing employment challenges. It centres on four closely interrelated components: skills development and green enterprise development as core pillars, complemented by components on policy coordination and finance.

Explicit emphasis is placed on the needs of youth, women and groups in vulnerable situations. The strategy includes a focus on several high potential sectors for green jobs as well as transversal measures.

Key insights
Strengthening systems, policies and institutions for an integrated delivery on green jobs

The promotion of green jobs – within multiple target sectors – rests on coherent policies and coordinated delivery across different government institutions, social partners and other actors and on effective social dialogue.

The skills component of the strategy addresses the key occupations and skills needed to drive the growth and development of the green economy which the realisation of green jobs potential depends on. It is designed to facilitate the identification of skills for green jobs and to equip individuals and groups with the capabilities needed to tap into emerging opportunities.

It entails several complementary elements:

  • mechanisms to assess and monitor skill needs for green jobs based on sound labour market information
  • measures to support coherence across skill development programmes, and environmental policies and programmes
  • alignment of qualification frameworks and curricula to the skills needs for green jobs, and related interventions to strengthen TVET systems in this field
  • measures to ensure equal access to skill development for green jobs.

The enterprise component of the strategy aims at strengthening the support systems for green enterprises to develop and grow. It comprises business development services such as training, start-ups, incubation and market facilitation. A crucial vehicle for green job creation is to be found in enterprises engaged in the production of environmentally friendly goods and services and using green technologies and processes.

It entails:

  • the promotion of green entrepreneurship development, with special attention to the needs of youth, women and people with disabilities
  • the strengthening of green value chains to maximize jobs and income gains
  • support for greater access to green technologies, Business Development Services and finance to promote the adoption of cleaner production processes and technologies, innovation, and responsible labour practices by SMEs
  • the alignment tax policies with employment and environmental objectives
  • the orienting public infrastructure and employment programmes and schemes to address environmental sustainability and resilience
  • the introduction of Payment for Environmental Services system
  • targeted sectoral measures.

The policy coordination component seeks to strengthen capacities and mechanisms that improve policy alignment through the mainstreaming of green jobs in key national frameworks, promote institutional collaboration, support social dialogue and enhance accountability. This component also ensures a cohesive overall implementation of the Green Jobs Strategy.

The Green Enterprise Financing component aims at mobilising existing and potential public and private funding to make them accessible to green enterprises.

The component includes measures to:

  • integrate green finance objectives in sectoral strategies
  • develop inter-sectoral green jobs financing plan in priority sectors
  • develop appropriate financing schemes for green enterprises and green jobs promotion
  • identify opportunities for public-private partnerships in skills development programmes
  • create the enabling environment for green jobs financing
  • facilitate access to finance for smallholder farmers to improve productivity, resilience and environmental impacts
  • enhance protection of smallholder farmers against climate change.
Sectors with high potential for green jobs are the subject of targeted measures across the strategy, and include renewable energy, agriculture, forestry and fishery, waste management and recycling, construction, eco-tourism and nature-based tourism.
Expected Outcomes
Green jobs creation through coherent and effective policy coordination of sectoral approaches
Implementation
MLJE holds overall coordination, but delivery is distributed across existing sector ministries and agencies

Governance sits with an Inter-Sectoral Working Group chaired by MLJE with representation from Finance, NDPC, EPA, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and other ministries, organised labour, employers, the private sector, and development partners. MMDAs handle local delivery.

The National Development Planning Commission has successfully integrated greens jobs principles and objectives into the President’s Coordinated Programme for Economic and Social Development Policies (2025–2029), securing high-level political commitment. This has been further operationalised through their inclusion in the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (2026–2029), effectively positioning greens jobs as a national development priority for implementation across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). In parallel, green jobs indicators have been incorporated into the national Results Framework of the MTNDPF (2026–2029), enabling systematic tracking, reporting, and accountability at the national level.

M&E is MLJE-led with the formation of a dedicated M&E team and the revision of the M&E framework, laying a strong foundation for full operationalization by 2026 and sustained application. The green jobs inventory was developed, which has established a baseline for green jobs in Ghana and will serve as a key input for the production of the National Green Jobs Report.

Significant progress has been made in strengthening stakeholder capacities to integrate environmental sustainability, decent work, gender equality, and Just Transition principles into public employment programmes. Social dialogue processes have also been reinforced, including a tripartite dialogue held in October 2025, which resulted in a communiqué advocating for the inclusion of Just Transition in Ghana’s NDC 2.0 and the development of draft text submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

The strategy was developed between August 2019 and September 2020 through stakeholder consultations organised at the national, regional, and district levels. Ghana Employers' Association (GEA) and the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) are the social partners of MELR
01 Aug 2019 - 01 Sep 2020
Tripartite consultation followed by a validation workshop.
Mar 2025
Union.
01 Jul 2025
Union conference led by the ILO | TUC Ghana and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) shared knowledge and developed action plans on just transition and climate change advocacy.
15 Oct 2025
Consultations and workshops | A tripartite dialogue held in October 2025, which resulted in a communiqué advocating for the inclusion of just transition in Ghana’s NDC 2.0 and the development of draft text submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). These efforts were complemented by the organization of a National Dialogue and Jobs Fair, further promoting inclusive engagement and awareness on greens jobs and just transition.
Nov 2025 - Mar 2026
Workshops | Actors: Over 75 senior leaders from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana were trained on Just Transition in November 2025 and March 2026.
Other stakeholders
Role of the media and of investigative journalism in ensuring a sustainable green environment in the country

Capacities of stakeholder has been strengthened through training, awareness raising, and coordination. Over 150 stakeholders have been trained. Management, Planning Officers and Labour Officers from the various MMDAs across the selected project regions were trained in areas such as Future of Work, Labour Market Information and Analysis, Just Transition, Green and circular Economy.

The media is recognised as a pivotal actor in amplifying best practices and highlighting successful just transition initiatives, enterprises, and innovations. Strong media partnerships can also enable informed, solutions‑oriented dialogue between experts and policymakers, particularly on the links between environmental sustainability and job creation.