There is overwhelming scientific consensus that the Earth's climate is warming, which is mainly a result of human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Nobody is spared from its effects. Governments around the world are responding to climate change in various ways, with efforts ranging from international agreements and policy frameworks to national-level initiatives and local actions. As this green revolution gains traction, it creates both existing and new job opportunities in traditional 'green' industries such as renewables, waste management and construction. The introduction of new technologies, substances and work processes also creates new jobs in sectors such as sustainability management, carbon trading, recycling, renewable energy, green buildings and so forth. Such developments bring about new occupational health risks and challenges for workers and employers, which, in turn, may require political, administrative, technical, and regulatory approaches to safeguard worker safety and health. Those of us in the medical community should also keep a lookout for any emerging occupational health issues and take timely actions to mitigate their effects. The purpose of my sharing is to provide an overview of the potential occupational health issues we may encounter in the Singapore workforce.
