Professor Peter Poschen speaks at the Green Job Arena

The Green Job Arena will feature a prominent keynote presentation by Professor Peter Poschen, a distinguished academic from the Faculty of Environment at the University of Freiburg. His presentation, titled “Green Jobs Will be Critical to the Future of Forests and Forestry,” promises to be a highlight in the arena, emphasizing the pivotal role of green jobs in the future.

Professor Poschen will explore the significant transformations forests and forestry are poised to undergo. These changes are driven by new societal demands for goods and services and the accelerating impacts of climate change. In his keynote, he will emphasize the urgent need for adaptation in forests and forestry practices to meet these emerging challenges and opportunities. This demands the adaptation of competencies in forest education. His presentation will underscore the necessity for not only more expertise but also different kinds of expertise to address these evolving needs.

“There is a narrow window of opportunity to prepare,” Professor Poschen says. “The transformation should start now, and securing the workforce needed for this future should be one of the priorities.”

Professor Poschen brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his role. He is currently an external professor specializing in socio-economic sustainability at the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources. His teaching includes courses on environmental governance, social and environmental sustainability, and international forestry. Additionally, he supervises numerous PhD, Master, and BSc theses.

His extensive career includes notable roles such as:

  • Research partner with the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA) and the University of São Paulo (USP) on the Bio-Economy Project (2021-2023).
  • Member of the review team for the Science Panel for the Amazon (2020-2021).
  • Consultant and advisor for various esteemed organizations, including the European Forest Institute (EFI), UNECE, ILO, and Socieux+.

Previously, Professor Poschen served as the Director of the International Labor Office (ILO) in Brazil, and as the Director of the Enterprises Department at ILO in Geneva, where he led the global program on Green Jobs. His tenure at ILO also included roles as Senior Advisor on Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Coordinator of Decent Work Pilot Programs, and Forestry and Wood Industries Specialist, among others.

In addition to his role at the University of Freiburg, Professor Poschen is a lecturer on socio-economic sustainability in the international Master’s program in Environmental Governance at Freiburg and a regular guest lecturer at TU Dresden. His consultancy work extends to Forest Europe and the FAO/ECE on Green Jobs in Forestry, demonstrating his commitment to advancing sustainable forestry practices globally.