This chapter explains the consequences on the labour market of the structural changes induced by decarbonisation policies. These policies are indeed likely going to have consequences on labour income distribution given existing rigidities in the labour markets and their different impacts on sectors and job categories. The chapter notably discusses whether decarbonisation can be a net job creator or destroyer, illustrating how job losses can be managed in a fair manner and how green jobs creation can be incentivised.

The promise of an economy that creates good jobs, promotes social justice, and improves environmental quality is an alluring one. Proponents of a green economy argue that businesses and communities can overcome contradictions and conflicts between economic, social, and environmental goals through pursuit of the triple bottom line. Yet there is little consensus on what the green economy is and how to achieve it. In this chapter, we review the empirical studies on existing green economic arrangements in different parts of the world. We identify four streams of activities: macroeconomic restructuring, spatial replanning, industrial redesign, and local revitalization. Our review suggests that existing empirical studies remain overwhelmingly practical in their orientation, which leaves much room for theoretically motivated environmental sociological analyses. We conclude with a call for an environmental sociology of green economies that has the potential to enrich the academic literature and enable real-world transformations.