New plans to ensure the European workforce has the necessary skills needed for the transition towards a green economy has been unveiled.

The ‘Green Employment Initiative Communication’ plans to combine the right policies on skills, tools to anticipate and manage change “in the best way possible” as well as specific measures to support job creation and labour market transitions.

The European Commission aims to work with stakeholders to identify and bridge the skills gap before they occur and “continue to follow up on the environmental tax reform” in the Member States.

European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion László Andor said the shift towards a green and resource-efficient economy is “already bringing about fundamental changes across all sectors”.

He added: “It is an opportunity to generate high quality environmentally-friendly jobs while securing the sustainable well-being of future generations and contributing to recovery from the economic crisis. If we implement the right polices, the green economy will play a critical role to increase European global competitiveness and support the Europe 2020 Strategy objectives”.