Barack Obama: 'Yes, we can'
 The election of Barack Obama as the next U.S. President opens up enormous opportunities for America - and for the world. With the economy in shambles and the world's ecosystems in even deeper debt, the transition comes not a moment too soon.
At a time when millions of people are losing their jobs and traditional manufacturing industries are shrinking, the transition to electric cars, energy-efficient green buildings, wind power, and solar energy represents the largest economic opportunity the world has seen in decades. U.S. leadership in building a green economy will inspire similar efforts from Europe to China - and will allow the world to address the looming climate catastrophe.
Worldwatch and its partners are excited to provide our newest leaders in Washington with a road map to a green economy.
Global Economy Special Focus: Green Jobs
Since the early 1990s, Worldwatch Institute has examined the benefits of "green jobs" - employment that helps protect and restore the environment. Innovation in such areas as renewable energy, green building, and sustainable agriculture can help businesses stay at the cutting edge, which is essential for retaining existing jobs and creating new ones.
A fair and sustainable economy needs to protect the natural environment and offer well-paying, decent jobs. But today's economy fares poorly on both scores. Not only does the voracious appetite for energy and materials lead to resource depletion, pollution, and climate change, but hundreds of millions of people worldwide remain either unemployed or contend with highly insecure jobs. It is now widely accepted that employment losses from not addressing the environmental crisis are likely to be very serious.
In 2007 and 2008, Worldwatch Senior Researcher Michael Renner, in collaboration with the Cornell University's Global Labor Institute, carried out a state-of-the-art review of green jobs funded and commissioned by the UN Environment Programme under a joint Green Jobs Initiative with the International Labour Office, the International Trade Union Confederation, and the International Organization of Employers.
The report, Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World, is the first comprehensive compilation of global green jobs trends and prospects. In October 2008, Worldwatch released its report Green Jobs: Working for People and the Environment, which summarizes the larger report for a general audience. Green Jobs describes the state-of-play of green employment in renewable energy, buildings, transportation, basic industry, recycling, farming, and forestry.
Working with its partner organizations, the Worldwatch Institute provides high-quality data and analysis that demonstrates the positive linkages between environment, employment, and livelihoods. The Institute's research highlights opportunities and success stories and identifies the policies needed to overcome existing barriers to green jobs development.
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