ع
The International Labour Organization determined that these positions accounted for about 40 percent of global employment when the baseline data was collected in 2014. An ILO review found that agriculture comprised 80 percent of the roles while forestry and fishing contributed another 5 percent with the remainder spread across food processing, renewable energy and environment-related tourism. The organisation attributed the scale of dependence to the direct services ecosystems provide such as soil renewal, water regulation and storm protection.
ILO figures show that Africa registers the highest proportion with 59 percent of employment tied to ecosystem services followed by Asia and the Pacific at 47 percent. Europe and the Americas each stand at 17 percent while the Arab States record 15 percent according to the same assessment. These disparities reflect differing economic structures and the prominence of primary sectors in developing regions.
A joint ILO, UNEP and IUCN publication from 2024 stated that more than 60 million people currently work in nature-based solutions focused on conservation, restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems. The report projected that increased investment could generate an additional 20 million to 32 million such jobs by 2030 with the largest gains expected in Africa, Latin America and the Arab States. Carlien van Empel, Director of the ILO Office for the EU and the Benelux countries, said in June 2026 that if investment is scaled up, nature-based solutions could create an additional 20 to 32 million jobs by 2030.
The International Labour Organization has noted that more than half of global gross domestic product is moderately or highly dependent on nature. This connection amplifies the employment risks posed by degradation and biodiversity loss according to successive ILO analyses. The organisation has promoted integration of nature-based approaches into broader recovery and development planning.
Further details from the ILO assessment indicated that dry-land farming, coastal fisheries and forest-based activities all rely on specific ecosystem functions for continued viability. The 2018 World Employment and Social Outlook first quantified the 1.2 billion figure and later reports have reiterated it while expanding on policy implications. These documents emphasise that ecosystem decline directly reduces productivity and threatens livelihoods in affected sectors.
Recent ILO research with partner agencies has highlighted the necessity of skills development and infrastructure improvements to unlock the full employment potential of nature-based solutions. The assessments call for embedding decent work criteria including fair wages and social protection from the design stage of such projects. Without these elements the expansion of green jobs could fail to deliver equitable or sustainable outcomes across regions.
