Mikel Torres: “Committing to green jobs is a unique opportunity to promote socio-economic development that generates well-being.”

• The Deputy President and Minister for Economy, Labour and Employment calls for the ecological transition as a “path” towards a “more diversified, modern and inclusive” economy, thereby forging “a more resilient Basque Country.” 

The Deputy President and Minister for Economy, Labour and Employment of the Basque Government, Mikel Torres, emphasises that “committing to green jobs is not merely an option, but a strategic necessity - a unique opportunity to promote sustainable socio-economic development that generates well-being today and leaves a dignified legacy for future generations. This conviction is enshrined in the Basque Employment Strategy 2030.”  

Delivering his speech on Thursday at the opening of the 1st Green Employment Forum - Green Topaketa - held in Bilbao, a pioneering forum created with the aim of forging alliances, promoting projects and placing green employment at the centre of the social, economic and environmental transformation of the Basque Country, Torres stressed that the ecological transition “should not be understood solely as an environmental duty: The ecological transition is not only a path towards a more habitable planet, it is the path towards a more diversified, modern and inclusive economy”, capable of building “a more resilient Basque Country”. 

Vice President Torres stated that “we are living in a global moment marked by the climate crisis, the energy transition and the need for more equitable models”. He noted that the Basque Country has “strengths that place us in a privileged position, with a strong industrial base, a leading scientific and technological ecosystem, an enormous capacity for innovation and, above all, talented, trained and committed people”. 

To this end, Torres insisted that “the ecological transition must also be a social, fair and inclusive transition that leaves no one behind”. He therefore stressed the importance of facilitating access to green jobs for young people, the unemployed, those who need retraining and groups facing the greatest barriers to employment. “The green economy, if we support it effectively, can become an engine of equality and social cohesion,” Torres asserted. 

Strong partnership 

Vice President Torres highlighted the close partnership between the Basque Government, Lanbide (the Basque Public Employment Service), Aclima and the main clusters in the sector, which has enabled the launch of initiatives such as Green Jobs Sarea and the Green Employment Observatory.  

These tools, funded since 2024 by the Department of Economy, Labour and Employment, seek to anticipate the needs of the labour market, identify new professional profiles and ensure that the Basque Country takes full advantage of the opportunities offered by the green economy.  

For this reason, the Minister for Economy, Labour and Employment has emphasised his department's “firm commitment” to continuing to collaborate with Aclima “both operationally and financially, and to championing all initiatives that contribute to a greener, fairer and stronger labour market,” concluded Torres.