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Grønne job i Danmark

2. Summary

The Green Job Pool has created new jobs and contributed to a better environment. The subsidies allocated by The Green Job Pool have generated at least 1,000 new, permanent green full-time jobs. The subsidies granted amounted to approx. DKK 250,000 per job.

Since 1997 the Green Job Pool granted subsidies to a total of 574 projects amounting to just over DKK 265m and just under DKK 16m to a subpool administered by the Employment Service (AF) in Vejle. The Green Job Pool was assessed by the Centre for Alternative Social Analysis (CASA).

1.1 Evaluation

The over-all aim of the evaluation was to assess the total environmental and employment impact of the projects which received subsidies from the Green Job Pool.

The evaluation also dealt with other effects generated by the Green Job Pool, such as for example: the type of person employed, the competency development achieved by the people working on projects subsidised by the Green Job Pool, and to what extent their competencies matched the requirements for the qualifications needed in the projects.

The evaluation also included an assessment of how the work done by the Job Pool matches the development in the labour market and in the environment. The data collected and shared from the projects was another subject included in the evaluation.

Finally, an assessment was made of the administrators of the Green Job Pool: Did they successfully reach their target groups? Were the applicants and those in charge of the projects satisfied with the work done by administrators?

1.2 The Green Job Pool projects

The Green Job Pool granted subsidies for example to projects on environmental management in companies, renewable energy, rehabilitation of nature, waste and recycling and the promotion of more environmentally friendly products.

During the period from 1997 to 2000, the Green Job Pool has provided DKK 265m in subsidies for the implementation of environmental and employment projects totalling just over DKK 550m with the Job Pool typically meeting just under half of the costs involved.

There has been much interest in the Green Job Pool during 1997-2000. The Job Pool received 1450 applications and approved 619 projects out of which 574 were implemented. As of 15 November 2001, 316 projects have been completed and participants have sended questionnaires for evaluation to CASA.

At the start of the evaluation, the Job Pool's projects were divided into five different categories. The categories were based on the different methods adopted by the projects for achieving their environmental and employment impact. The five categories were: Environmental management, New (green) firms and (green) products, Knowledge and network projects, Pilot projects and Other projects.

For example, an environmental management project in a business sets out to directly target the environmental and employment impact on that particular business whereas a network project sets out to create widespread effects in society as a whole and in the particular companies involved.

1.3 Conclusion

The impact on employment

It is estimated that project activities which have been granted subsidies from the Green Job Pool will create at least 1,000 permanent, full-time jobs. Added to this, a number of external jobs were created by the projects with for example sub-contractors and other collaborative partners. The term "permanent" jobs indicates that the jobs will continue for at least six months after the termination of subsidies from the Green Job Pool.

The 1,000 full-time jobs are based on making an upgrade on the basis of the job creation from the projects completed as of 15 November 2001 which includes approximately half of the total number of subsidised projects. 517 new, permanent jobs were created in these 316 projects. It is assumed that the same effect applies to all 574 projects implemented with subsidies from the Job Pool 1997-2000 corresponding to approx. 1,000 full-time jobs.

Three out of four jobs created during the project period will continue for more than six months after termination of subsidies resulting in 1,000 new jobs. 708 jobs were thus created in the 316 projects during the project subsidy programme period, corresponding to approx. 1,300 full-time jobs for the total 574 projects that were implemented.

73% of the permanent, green jobs were created in private companies, 13% were created in public institutions and 14% in other organisations.

Approx. 80% of the projects will continue after the project programme period, i.e. after termination of subsidies from the Green Job Pool. The survival rate among the innovative businesses is as high as that of other new businesses.

On average, the grants from the Green Job Pool amount to DKK 251,000 per new, permanent job. The price per job is lower for the most businessoriented activities such as "environmental management" and "new firms" (approx. DKK 200,000 per permanent job) compared with the price for subsidies for development projects with a wider scope, such as, for example, "knowledge and network projects" (approx. DKK 800,000 per permanent job).

Compared with the programme "Programme for assistance on environmental issues and the working environment for small businesses", which were before the Green Job Pool, job creation in companies has become cheaper under the Green Job Pool's remit amounting to DKK 201,000 per permanent job against formerly DKK 331,000.

The subsidies granted per permanent job created in businesses under the remit of the Green Job Pool are only slightly higher than the annual public expenditure on the domestic services programme, for example, and furthermore, an additional environmental benefit is achieved.

The price per job created by the Green Job Pool is also only slightly higher than the public subsidies granted to employment programmes for a large number of social schemes and labour market programmes. Unlike the Job Pool's activities, these programmes include ongoing payments for activities with no innovative objectives.

In general the qualifications of the project participants complied with the skills needed in the projects. Virtually all the participants believed that they had obtained new qualifications and skills through the projects.

Environmental impact

The information obtained from the projects indicated that the Green Job Pool's projects contribute to an improved environment. In general, the projects have had considerable environmental impact.

In 70% of the completed projects the environmental impact was as expected or beyond expectation. Only in 6% of the projects was the result of the environmental impact poorer than expected at the beginning of the project.

In most cases (86%) of those in charge of the projects believed they could fully or partly document this environmental impact.

Most environmental improvements were achieved in private businesses, either in an individual company, in several companies or in selected industries. The public institutions also contributed to improvements of the environment.

Among the projects that continue after termination of subsidies, additional environmental measures will be implemented in 50% of the projects. This indicates that there is an ongoing environmental development in the projects continuing after termination of subsidies by the Green Job Pool.

Interaction with society in general

Several projects created by the Green Job Pool have helped to solve some important issues related to nature projects and environmental politics by providing more manpower. Through the Job Pool's wide framework it has been possible to support holistic projects across the traditional sectors.

The Job Pool has granted subsidies to projects at the leading edge of developments. This ranges for example from ecological constructions to school children's lunches. It is among other things reflected in the substantial requirements to grant of subsidies that the projects must be environmentally innovative.

Obviously, the Green Job Pool cannot be compared to other political labour market measures (job training, activation etc.) On the other hand, the Job Pool resembles in many respects an employment development programme.

The rate of unemployment has been declining during the period from 1997 to 2000. Only to a limited extent did the Job Pool create jobs directly for unemployed individuals. But via support for businesses and organisations to establish new, permanent and ordinary jobs, new opportunities have become available to the unemployed in other places.

The Job Pool has had the effect that more middle-aged people (between 55 and 59 years of age) have become employed. There is a high rate of unemployment among this age group (people aged between 55 and 59).

Information and sharing

The Green Job Pool deliberately set out to disseminate and share the knowledge gained from the many projects to the largest possible extent.

Half of those in charge of the projects indicated that others had implemented similar initiatives after they had been in contact with them. This is a satisfactory dissemination effect.

The project programme

The Green Job Pool had a wide scope looking for subsidies to projects across traditional ministerial lines. This means that the Job Pool has fostered many projects that would otherwise not have been granted any of these subsidies since they could neither be considered for the environmental programme nor for the employment programme .

The evaluation shows that the impact on the environment and on employment has been stimulated simultaneously. In general, the effort has proved that it is possible both for private businesses, public authorities and other organisations to create a synergy between the effort to improve the environment and the effort to stimulate employment.

The Green Job Pool has profound knowledge of other environmental programmes and environmental pools. The Green Job Pool has cooperated closely with many agencies, especially the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Danish Energy Agency and there has also been close contact with other ministries, including the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and The Ministry of Urban Housing and Building.

However, the Green Job Pool has not had quite as close contact with the labour market, including the Danish Ministry of Business and Industry and the Ministry of Labour. According to the reports issued by the secretariat, the reason is among other things that it has not been difficult to find qualified applicants and there have been no "debottlenecking" issues attached to the projects.

The applicants were impressed with the Green Job Pool's administration of the programme. It appears to be a well-managed programme with openness in administration, a great deal of information about possibilities and in general, a flexible, smooth administration.

1.4 Discussion and recommendations

The Green Job Pool's projects show that the Job Pool has fulfilled a need which was not fulfilled elsewhere. The Job Pool thus supported the development of environmental and employment efforts in many projects that are run "from the bottom" of society through small or existing businesses or organisations searching for new niches to stimulate sustainable development.

The evaluation shows that by combining labour market activities with environmental programmes such as it has been successfully done by the Green Job Pool, society achieves, if not for free, then at least a very cheap environmental impact primarily within Danish companies.

Compared with the ordinary employment activities budget of DKK 9bn in 1999 for the regional labour market councils, the DKK 300m investment in the Green Job Pool during a four-year period appears to be rather modest. It will therefore be self evident that an effort should be made to ensure that the many funds being spent on labour market issues be spent to a higher extent considering sustainability, so that the focus is not only on economic and social solutions - but environmental issues are also included in future planning.

It has not been included in the guidelines for the administration of the Green Job Pool that it should work on disseminating experience with this combination to other programmes used to stimulate employment under the remit of the labour market. In the light of the positive findings and the modest added expenses to achieve environmental improvements compared with other programmes it should be ensured that in future this will have an impact on these other programmes. The environmental aspect may thus successfully be incorporated in other political labour market activities.

The experience achieved from the arrangement "Green Activation in Vejle" has been very positive. It may be advantageous to place the funds from the pool regionally though it should be emphasised that especially Vejle had some good prerequisites: Green Activation had been implemented before 1997 and could enter into co-operation with the already smoothrunning green employment team "Green Network". The Green Job Pool has also made the best of the possibilities to stimulate green jobs through local or regional network groups, e.g. by way of granting subsidies to regional network set-ups. This could be a strategy to pursue to establish closer contact between puplic authorities and entrepreneurial and business environments.

1.5 The framework of the Green Job Pool

When using the term "The Green Job Pool" in this report we refer to the funds allocated to the Job Pool which were part of the 1996 government grant agreement on a 4-year subsidy scheme (1997-2000) which was enacted into law in 1997.

The purpose of the Green Job Pool is to create new jobs with significant environmental and resource-related contents. The Pool aims primarily at creating permanent jobs but in special cases subsidies will also be granted to projects which create only temporary jobs, provided the environmental and nature-related impact is assessed to be considerable.

During the period from 1997 to 2000, the Green Job Pool operated with a budget of DKK 305m. Projects were implemented to a value of approx. DKK 265m, and about DKK 16m were allocated to the Employment Service in Vejle, including DKK 15m to projects and about DKK 1m to the secretariat. Approximately DKK 16m remained unspent during this period. That is because 45 projects, which had been approved, have not yet been implemented or had to be cancelled before implementation. Furthermore, several of the completed projects were unable to spend all their grants. Thus some of the funds allocated were not paid. The residual funds were transferred to the extension of the time of the Green Job Pool (2001-2004) which was adopted as part of the Budget for the year 2001.

The board of the Green Job Pool which consists of three members allocates the funds granted by the Green Job Pool. The Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Energy appoint the members of the board.

The board prepared a programme description in 1997 which gives more details of the different categories of projects, objectives, success criteria and an evaluation plan. Moreover, guidelines for the applicants were prepared for each of the following years.

The Green Secretariat, which is the secretariat of the Pool, is under the remit of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.

The evaluation was carried out by the Centre for Alternative Social Analysis (CASA). The evaluation started on 1 January 1999 and ended at the end of year 2001. The evaluation consisted of four main tasks:

1. Planning and preparing a paradigm for selfassessment
2. Process evaluations which were changed into theme evaluations
3. Mid-term evaluation - end of 1999
4. Overall evaluation - end of year 2001

Planning. When planning the evaluation, a paradigm was prepared in the form of a questionnaire regarding the projects, including a questionnaire for all the project participants.

Process and theme evaluations. Approx. 20 projects were selected for process evaluation at the beginning. The projects were being monitored in 1999 and the findings were included in the mid-term evaluation; an independent report (Status of process evaluations) was prepared in January 2000.

At the beginning of year 2000 it was decided to extend the number of projects and to change the form to theme evaluations. Seven themes were selected looking at green jobs in 38 projects. The theme evaluations are presented in seven different special issues.

Mid-term evaluation. A mid-term evaluation was carried out during the period from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999. Contributions were made by Aarhus Business College who analysed the commercial and economic consequences of the programme. The mid-term evaluation is published in a report "New green jobs in Denmark" - Mid-term evaluation of the Green Job Pool, January 2000.

Only a limited number of the projects were completed at the time of the midterm evaluation. Thus the findings were primarily used as indicators which the Green Job Pool could evaluate when establishing the practice and priorities of the Pool of the past year (year 2000).

The over-all evaluation was carried out for the period from 1997 to 2000. The effects of the Green Job Pool compared with the set objectives are identified in the over-all evaluation. The evaluation deals with all phases in a typical project from the application stage up until the final results are achieved. Analysis of the subsidised projects. This analysis is based on the completed questionnaire identifying the impact of the projects and a brief report. As of 15 November 2001, 316 completed questionnaires and 672 project participant questionnaires were submitted.

CASA has also had the opportunity to continuously examine the Danish Environmental Protection Agency's case files on projects. A database of the approved projects was established in connection with registration of the projects.

Telephone interviews regarding concluded projects. 125 project participants were contacted from September to October 2001 to follow up on their survival, activities and impact between six months to three years after termination of subsidies by the Green Job Pool.

Analysis of rejected projects. An analysis of the rejected projects was carried out during the mid-term evaluation. The analysis is based on a review of the cases, telephone interviews and the questionnaires submitted to the project applicants who were rejected. The analysis is not included again in the final evaluation but the findings are reported to make an over-all evaluation.

Experience from stakeholders and related public initiatives were examined separately in connection with the mid-term evaluation and issued as an independent report "The Green Job Pool's interaction with other public initiatives", January 2000. Interviews were carried out and seminars were held for key individuals in charge of related activities to identify knowledge of and interaction with other programmes aimed at improving the impact on the environment and/or employment. The intention being in this context, also to examine and map out the opportunities to increase the interaction.

The regional subsidy programme "Green Activation in Vejle County" was evaluated by CASA during the same period as the mid-term evaluation and the findings were included in this evaluation. An independent report containing the findings of the evaluation "New green jobs in Vejle County - evaluation of Green activation", January 2000, was prepared.

The secretariat and the board were interviewed about priorities and practices in giving grants. Furthermore, the secretariat and the Centre for Alternative Social Analysis were also in continuous contact.