This study addresses the gap in evidence on employability of people from disadvantaged groups in the context of the greening of the economy. We focus in particular on people with low qualifications (i.e. those with at most a lower secondary qualification (level 2 or below in the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)). However, when looking at job opportunities for this group, we extend the scope to jobs requiring medium-level qualifications (ISCED 4), as these could be accessible for people with low qualifications with additional education, training or work experience and help them break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage. The study also provides insights about the facilitators and barriers to green employment for other disadvantaged groups, including but not limited to women, young people and others.

Green jobs (or green employment) is not a well-defined term and definitions differ across countries and regions. We use an inclusive interpretation of green jobs meaning jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources.

The study focuses on ten European cities and regions across five European countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. It relies on analyses of Eurostat and Cedefop data, including a large dataset of online job vacancies (Skills-OVATE), which provides insights into the labour market needs at the national and regional levels. In addition, we compiled and examined a much smaller qualitative database of online green job advertisements in the areas of interest, 78 semi-structured interviews and review of local, regional, national and wider international evidence (from peer-reviewed articles to grey literature and content of relevant websites) to answer the following research questions: 1. What green jobs are available for disadvantaged groups, especially people with low qualifications?

2. What skills are needed and what training pathways are available for these jobs?

3. Who are the relevant stakeholders when it comes to employment of disadvantaged groups, especially people with low qualifications, in the green sector?

4. What are the existing initiatives and programmes supporting people with low qualifications and other disadvantaged groups into green jobs?