Report
University of Granada
Date: 28.January.2014
Topic: Green Jobs and Skills in Spain and Europe
Main points of the analysis:
Chemical Engineering as a scientific/academic discipline
Green Chemistry and Jobs: Definition, current state and future trends
Traditional Green Jobs in Spain
Green Jobs and Green Skills in the Spanish Classification of Occupations
Regulatory frameworks for different (7) sectors related to green economy
and green jobs in EU and Spain
Organisation of the education system in Spain
Education levels in Spain
University education
Lifelong learning
The need of Green Skills introduction into Chemical Engineering
education
Final notes related to Green Jobs and Green Skills need
References used
“There has been a transformation to thinking about what you can create, invent and
innovate by aligning sustainability issues with economic drivers and market forces”
Anastas P.T. (Author of 12 Green Chemistry and 12 Green Engineering Principles; Director
of Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering at Yale)
Chemical Engineering as a scientific/academic discipline
In 2013 the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) celebrated sixty years of the chemical
industry development and establishment of the corresponding academic discipline in the Universities and
University Departments closely related to that industry. The last sixty years have seen enormous
developments in the chemical industry and the discipline of chemical engineering and it is obvious that
Europe has had an important role to play in these developments.
Chemical engineering, as an academic discipline, involves the design and management of
biological, chemical and physical processes that enable raw materials to be converted into valuable
products. It is a discipline that is based on scientific knowledge from chemistry, physics, biology and
mathematics combined with engineering principles. Chemical engineers design both products and the
processes and manage their operation and optimization in order to ensure safe, that they are economically
viable and environmentally acceptable. On the other hand, the processes that are managed, as a part of the
designed plant, include biological and/or chemical reactions in a sequence that provides minimal loss of
materials and consumption of energy. The same unit operations are equally applicable across industries
such as petroleum/petrochemical industry, food processing, mining and related industries, production of
plastics and chemicals, pharmaceuticals production, environmental management, and biotechnology
where, in some cases, additional skills of the chemical engineer are needed. It is important to note that
Chemical Engineers must be capable of reacting to any change in production conditions and partly
because the Chemical Engineering is closely related to discoveries in the enabling sciences of the
profession such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and physics. Hence, the chemical
engineer must be familiar with the language and principles of these sciences (at least to acquire additional
specific skills) and/or to be able to work closely with specialists from these fields and other fields of
engineering, management and industrial relations.
Green Chemistry and Jobs: Definition, current state and future trends.
Green Chemistry can be defined as the “design of chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate
the use and generation of hazardous substances” and illustrates the 12 principles of Green Chemistry, a
set of “design rules” which illustrate that field, announced in 1998 by Paul Anastas and J.C. Warner:
(1)
Prevention. It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste
after it has been created.
(2)
Atom economy. Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the
incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.
(3)
Less hazardous chemical syntheses. Wherever practicable, synthetic
methods should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no
toxicity to human health and the environment.
(4)
Designing safer chemicals. Chemical products should be designed to
affect their desired function while minimizing their toxicity.
(5)
Safer solvents and auxiliaries. The use of auxiliary substances (e.g.,
solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary wherever possible
and innocuous when used.
(6)
Design for energy efficiency. Energy requirements of chemical processes
should be recognized for their environ- mental and economic impacts and should be
minimized. If possible, synthetic methods should be conducted at ambient
temperature and pressure.
(7)
Use of renewable feedstocks. A raw material or feedstock should be
renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practicable.
(8)
Reduce derivatives. Unnecessary derivatization (use of blocking groups,
protection/deprotection, temporary modfication of physical/chemical processes)
should be minimized or avoided if possible, because such steps require additional
reagents and can generate waste.
(9)
Catalysis. Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to
stoichiometric reagents.
(10)
Design for degradation. Chemical products should be designed so that at
the end of their function they break down into innocuous degradation products and
do not persist in the environment.
(11)
Real-time analysis for pollution prevention. Analytical methodologies
need to be further developed to allow for real-time, in-process monitoring and
control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.
(12)
Inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention. Substances and the
form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen to minimize the
potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions, and fires.
Talking about green principles and bearing in mind the “engineering” part of Chemical Engineering, it
would be of great importance to present the 12 Principles of Green Engineering elaborated by Anastas
and Zimmerman (2003):
1.
2.
Inherent Rather Than Circumstantial. Designers need to strive to ensure that all
materials and energy inputs and outputs are as inherently non-hazardous as possible.
Prevention Instead of Treatment. It is better to prevent waste than to treat or
clean up waste after it is formed.
3.
Design for Separation. Separation and purification operations should be designed
to minimize energy consumption and materials use.
4. Maximize Efficiency. Products, processes, and systems should be designed to
maximize mass, energy, space, and time efficiency.
5. Output-Pulled Versus Input-Pushed. Products, processes, and systems should be
“output pulled” rather than “input pushed” through the use of energy and materials.
6. Conserve Complexity. Embedded entropy and complexity must be viewed as an
investment when making design choices on recycle, reuse, or beneficial disposition.
7. Durability Rather Than Immortality. Targeted durability, not immortality,
should be a design goal.
8. Meet Need, Minimize Excess. Design for unnecessary capacity or capability (e.g.,
“one size fits all”) solutions should be considered a design flaw.
9. Minimize Material Diversity. Material diversity in multicomponent products
should be minimized to promote disassembly and value retention.
10. Integrate Material and Energy Flows. Design of products, processes, and systems must
include integration and interconnectivity with available energy and materials flows.
11. Design for Commercial “Afterlife”. Products, processes, and systems should be
designed for performance in a commercial “afterlife.”
12. Renewable Rather Than Depleting. Material and energy inputs should be
renewable rather than depleting.
It is clear that Green Engineering is the development and commercialization of industrial processes that
are economically feasible and reduce the risk to human health and the environment. All the above
principles should be taken int account when determinig the details of the Project Matrix.
To analyse historically the development of the concept of Green Chemistry it would be
interesting to use database of scientific publications generated along the last 20-30 years. It can be seen
that the evolution of Green Chemistry scientific publications increased from less than 100 in 1990 to
more than 600 in 2012. On the other hand, we if examine the distribution of these articles by field it
appears that the majority belong to Chemistry Multidisciplinary while only 3.75 % of the total number
belongs to Chemical Engineering (Epicoco et al., 2014)
One of the first and widely accepted definitions for “green jobs” particularly by research and
policy-makers is the one from the report by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP),
International Labour Organization (ILO, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the
International Organization of Employers (IOE). The report defines Green jobs as jobs created, under
decent work conditions, in activities that reduce environmental impacts of sectors, companies and
economies. The definition further considers green jobs as “green” positions in agriculture, manufacturing,
construction, installation, and maintenance, as well as scientific and technical, administrative, and
service-related activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. It
should be noted that “green jobs” are widely recognised as an evolving concept and therefore it is difficult
to give a strict definition valid in a long-term.
The mechanisms behind Green Chemistry are based on a set of principles dedicated to creating
more efficient industrial chemicals, drugs and products, govern by a mixture of political, economic and
cultural factors. The economic drive is to reduce waste. The political drive comes from regulations, such
as the US Pollution Protection Act, that are forcing companies to develop cleaner processes. Finally,
consumers and scientists who are becoming more aware of the need for cleaner processes provide the
cultural drive.
It is now well established that the green economy offers enormous opportunities for job creation
and many of them are already underway in the European economy. An important element of the
characteristics of the process of creation of green jobs is the fact that the jobs have to be not only green
but also decent, i.e. jobs that are productive, provide adequate incomes and social protection, respect the
rights of workers and give workers a say in decisions which will affect their lives (ILO, 2013). This
definition incorporates the three dimensions of sustainable development. Green jobs are decent work,
which significantly reduces negative environmental impacts of economic activity, ultimately leading to
sustainable enterprises and economies.
The EU has devoted more public research resources to environmental-related sciences than any
other research system in the world. According to the data available, there are about 7,360,000 jobs in the
EU in green sectors but there is still a gap between the potential for eco-innovation and the current state
of “green-based” activity. It should be noted, however, that there was, until recently, a lack of based on a
reliable, comprehensive and comparable system of green jobs evaluation in the European Union. The lack
of a standard data definition of green jobs resulted in highly differing figures for present green jobs and
future potential in the EU. Bearing in mind the issue of the limitations concerning the green jobs
definition, the following table is presented here, extracted from the last EU Report (Green Jobs and
related policy frameworks.
In terms of sectors, renewable energies, followed by waste management and recycling and
sustainable transportation are the sectors were more jobs have been created. Countries with higher
number of green jobs are Germany, Spain and Italy with green jobs in renewable energy production.
Green Jobs and related policy frameworks. An overview of the European Union
5
GREEN
SECTOR
Eco3
industries
Energy
Efficiency in
buildings
Renewable
energy
Existing green
jobs
(2007, 2008,
2009, 2010,
2012)
2.9-3.6 million in
2008
1,245,614 jobs
in
environmental
management
activities in 2008
232,050 Jobs in
EU insulation
industry
1,114,210 jobs
in 2010
Number of
jobs/€
2
invested
Potential
for green
jobs
creation in
2020
Text
Organic
farming
900,000 jobs in
railway for freight
and passengers
2.1 million in
efficient transport
220,000-260,000
producers in
2009
197,000
holdings in 2008
Other data
Source of
information
(ECORYS,
2009)
25,900 total
jobs/1 bill €
261,400378,000
new jobs
52,700 total
jobs/
€1billion
investments
2.7 million
(based on,
20% RE
target)
250,000 new jobs
annually if ecoefficient
refurbishment
rates increase 4%
4.4 million
(based on
45% RE
target)
6.1 million
(based on
100% RE
target)
(Eurobserv’ER
2011)
70% more jobs per
unit of investment
in public transport
than in building
new road and
bridge construction
21,500 total
jobs/
€1billion
investments
(CECODHAS,
2009)
(UITP for
EU25)
(Eurostat for
EU27)
(FoE, 2009)
(Smart Growth
America, 2011)
(FIBL, 2009)
6,600 total
jobs/
€1billion
investments
10-20% more jobs
per hectare than
conventional farms
(Farm
Structure
Survey, 2007)
29,000 total
jobs/ 1 € bill
investments
Biodiveristy
conservation
Waste &
recycling
sector
Potential
for green
jobs
creation
in 2050
(ECORYS,
2009)
900,000 jobs in
urban transport
Efficient
transport &
sustainable
mobility
Potential
for green
jobs
creation
in 2030
2 million jobs in
2008: 1,466,673
jobs in waste
management
and 512,337 jobs
in recycling
21,300 total
jobs/
€1billion
investments
(70%
recycling
rate)
2,400,000
jobs (50%
recycling
rate)
2,963,000
jobs (70%
recycling
sector)
Recycling 10,000
tonnes of waste
create between 6
and 12 more jobs
than incineration
and 25 more jobs
than landfill
deposition
1
Development of existing (2007-2012) and potential (2012-2020-2050) Green Jobs in
most important sectors.
1
Due to the lack of official statistics, data reflects researches carried out on green sectors estimating the
current and the potential jobs by different methodologies and various units of measurement, for
instance:
direct, indirect, induced and/or total jobs.
2
According to the GHK study- Evaluating the potential for Green Jobs in the next Multi-annual Financial Framework”,
Daly E., Pieterse M., Medhurst J.,August 2011. http://www.birdlife.org/eu/pdfs/Green_Jobs.pdf
3
Eco-industries are defined as activities which produce goods and services to measure, prevent, limit, minimise or
correct environmental
damage
to water,toair make
and soil,difference
as well as problems
related
to waste,
eco-systems. This
It would be
important
between
green
jobs noise
andand
environmental
jobs.
includes cleaner technologies, products and services that reduce environmental risk and minimise pollution and resource
Environmental
jobs
refers
to
those
jobs
that
depend
on
the
environment
at
some
level
and
particularly
use. (The Environmental Goods and Services Industry – Manual for Data Collection and Analysis”, OECD/Eurostat, on
natural
1999) resources such as water, land, biodiversity. A good example of these jobs is jobs in agriculture.
However, green jobs refer to those jobs that can be created as a result of a reduction of the environmental
5
impact of any process. Following the latter criteria, employment in organic agriculture, energy efficiency
and recycling are good examples of the category of Green Jobs. At the European level, Spain is among
the countries leading the promotion of the green economy. In 2006, a study by the European Trade Union
Confederation pointed to Spain and Germany as the two EU countries which had put in place a series of
policies and measures covering all sectors responsible for CO 2 emissions (energy, manufacturing,
transportation, domestic tertiary sector). In 2008, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) noted that, along with Finland and Denmark, Spain actively promoting exports of
environmental goods and services and provided support for local businesses to promote their
transformation into global export. A study by the International Labour Organization (ILO , 2011a)
Europe-wide identifies Spain, Germany, France and the UK among the countries that have responded to
the economic crisis with green stimulus measures , which involves investments in energy efficiency
buildings, low emission vehicles and other forms of sustainable transport. In May 2011 the OECD
launched a Green Growth Strategy, which is fully consistent and aligned with the policies Spain has been
implementing over the last years. Shifting workers out of the crisis-hit construction and tourism sectors
and into “green and ecological” jobs is a priority; and this transition needs to be accomplished by
implementing well-designed policies. One of the main pillars of Spain’s green growth strategy is
renewable energy, which in 2008 accounted for 7.3% of primary energy supply and now exceeds 10%.
The goal is to increase this percentage to 20% by 2020. In late 2010, renewables were already generating
32% of the nation’s electricity (OECD, 2011). However, there are a wide number of expert studies and
opinions that suggest the high risk of subsidizing creation of Green Jobs at any rate. According to a recent
publication by the Instituto Juan de Mariana (Spain) investment in green jobs will only prove convenient
if the expense by the public sector is more efficient at generating wealth than the private sector. This
would only be possible if public investment were able to be self-financing without having to resort to
subsidies, i.e., without needing to absorb wealth generated by the rest of the economy in order to support
a production that cannot be justified through the incurred incomes and costs (Calzada et al., 2010). The
shift to an environmentally sustainable economy in Spain has given rise to green jobs, a new type of job,
which plays a vital role in greening enterprises. Next Table illustrate the number of traditional Green Jobs
in Spain as published in “Green jobs in a sustainable economy. Executive summary” by Fundación
Biodiversidad (FB) and the Observatorio de la Sostenibilidad en España (OSE) (2010):
Traditional Green Jobs in Spain
In recent years there have been specialized studies that collect a complete diagnosis of the situation of
green jobs in Spain including the current status and projections for the same 2020 . Regardless of some
differences of methodology, these studies agree to highlight the remarkable growth of green jobs in Spain
in the years of economic crisis, as well as the relative weight of major sectors of waste management,
renewable energy and energy efficiency in total. Notably, according to a study by the European
Commission in 2012, job creation in sectors related to the environment has had a positive trend during the
recession compared to other sectors. Of the 2.4 million jobs in 2000 passed 3 million in 2008 and is
expected to reach 3.4 million in 2012.
Against a background of economic and meet the challenges in energy and environmental matters
recession, green jobs particularly in Spain are seen as an opportunity to address the creation of sustainable
employment and quality. The initiatives are part of the concept of green jobs and have two aims: first, to
fight against environmental challenges by enabling the development of future generations and, on the
other hand, provide decent work in a context in which millions of people are excluded from the economic
and social development. Undoubtedly, Green Jobs are an important part of the employment gains linked
to a more environmentally sustainable economy. On the other hand, they are critical for making the shift
to Green Economy in general, and Green Chemistry in particular, technically feasible and economically
viable. One of the most critical points in this process is that without skilled and motivated workers in new
green growth sectors and in key occupations across the economy, the investment made and the
technology deployed will not generate the expected benefits for sustainable development.
Green Jobs and Green Skills in the Spanish Classification of Occupations
The manufacturing sector has a huge potential for greening. Managing materials in a green way implies
not only recycling but looking at the composition of materials themselves. Materials science and in
particular green chemistry is a growing area where new skills are emerging as technology advances.
Production processes become green when green technology and improved materials are applied, outputs
of waste and inputs of energy and resources are reduced, and account is taken of products and materials
throughout their entire life. Occupations affected by these changes vary from one industry to another, but
across the sector include those of executive manager, researcher/developer, engineer, industrial technician
and machine operator. Other related occupations where skills are likely to change include those of
chemical engineers, chemical equipment operators and tenders, chemical plant and system operators,
chemical technicians and chemists. Changes in occupations in manufacturing are driven by markets,
technology and regulation.
The process of identifying green occupations in Spain’s economy has been under way since
2002, when an initial study proposed their inclusion in the national occupational classification. In 2006
the Ministry of Labour initiated more specific research on environmental sectors and occupations, using
the OECD’s 1999 definition of environmental activities as a starting point. It determined that some green
jobs were already recognized in its classification system while a few others were not. This project made
recommendations to create new occupations and disaggregate some existing occupations.
In 2008 the Observatory of Occupations prepared a report which was coordinated by the Spanish
Public Employment Services Agency in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of the
Environment and regional authorities.
The report classified the following ten sectors as green:










sewage water treatment;
waste treatment and management;
renewable energy production;
management of nature reserves;
forestry management;
environmental services;
environmental education and information;
eco-agriculture and eco-cattle-farming;
internal environmental protection activities within companies; and
public employment in environmental affairs.
The report took into account environmental policies at international, national and regional levels,
employment trends, new technologies in use and occupational profiles. It was based on a literature review
of previous studies, analysis of existing data, and a questionnaire survey and telephone interviews
conducted among enterprises and key external informants. The questionnaire covered occupational
profiles, modifications in occupational content, innovation and technology, new occupations detected,
employment trends and training needs.
The qualitative research revealed 82 occupational profiles in the ten sectors, giving for each its
title and definition, educational profile (including levels of qualification and specific skills required), and
a list of related technologies, innovations and tools.
Regulatory frameworks for different (7) sectors related to green economy and
green jobs in eu and Spain
Regulatory framework for the sector control and prevention of air pollution
EU: Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air
quality and cleaner air for Europe.
SP: Law 34/2007 of 15 November on Air Quality and Protection of the Atmosphere.
Royal Decree 1073/2002 of 18 October on the assessment and management of ambient air quality in
relation to sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, lead, benzene and carbon
monoxide.
Royal Decree 1796/2003 of 26 December on ozone in ambient air.
Royal Decree 812/2007 of 22 June relating to arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons
Regulatory framework for the protection and management of water
EU: One of the most important standards in the field of water management is the Water Framework
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a
framework for Community action is set in the field of water policy (DOCE 327 / L , 22.12.2000 ) . Using
this framework directive, the European Union establishes a Community framework for the protection and
management of water.
Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the
protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration .
Directive 2008/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on
environmental quality standards in the field of water policy .
SP: The most important in this matter is the new Plan 2007-2015 Water Quality.
Royal Legislative Decree 1/ 2001 of 20 July, the Consolidated Text of the Water Act is approved.
Law 62 /2003 of 30 December ( Art.129 ): measures on fiscal, administrative and social order that was
produced by modifying various provisions of the revised Law of Waters. This article is transposing the
Spanish Directive 2000/60/EC.
Law 11 /2005 reforms development base of AGUA National Hydrological Plan.
Royal Decree 1620/2007 of 7 December on the legal framework for the reuse of treated water.
Regulatory framework for the management and treatment of wastes
EU: Waste Framework Directive , 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19
November 2008 (OJ L 312, 22.11.2008 ), repeals Directives 75/439/EEC (Waste Oils) 91/689/EEC
(hazardous wastes) and 2006/12/EC (on wastes) from December 12, 2010.
SP: Law 11 /1997, of 24 April, on packaging and packaging wastes (BOE number 99 of 25.04.1997 ).
Transposed into national law of the EU Directive 94/62/EEC of the Council of 29 December 1994.
Royal Decree 952/1997 of 20 June on Hazardous Wastes.
Royal Decree 1217/1997 of 18 July on Hazardous Waste Incineration and Amending Royal Decree 1088
/1992.
Law 10/1998 of 21 April on Wastes (BOE 96 of 22.04.1998)
By Order of January 20, 2009 of the Secretary of State for Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and
Rural and Marine Affairs, is approved the National Integrated Waste Plan for the period 2008-2015 (BOE
49 of 26.02.2009).
In this integrated plan all waste listed in the European Waste Catalogue (EWC) generated in Spain or
from foreign countries except radioactive waste of animal origin covered by Regulation (EC ) 1774/2002
and include fluids and excreta livestock (manure ). However, the latter two are referred to in this Plan by
two annexes where diagnosis and package included.
The plan contains specific additonal plans which are listed below:
• National Urban Waste Plan.
• National Plan on Hazardous Wastes.
• National Plan on Out of Use Vehicles.
• National Plan of Sewage Sludge WWTP.
• National Plan on Construccion and Demolition Wastes.
• National Plan for Decontamination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls.
• National Plan on Batteries and Accumulators.
• National Plan on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment .
• National Plan on Waste Extractive Activities.
• National Plan for Residuos of Plastics in Agriculture.
• National Plan of non-hazardous industrial wastes.
• National Plan of Contaminated Soils.
• Spanish Strategy for reduction of biodegradable wastes to landfills.
• Strategic analysis document depurines treatment facilities and reduction of pig farms where electricity is
produced.
Regulatory framework for the sector to prevent contaminated soil
EU: Directive 2004/35/EC on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remediation of
environmental damage.
The Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection ( COM ( 2006) 231 final). Directive 2006/118/EC .
SP: The National Plan 2007-2015 of Recovery of Contaminated Soils emphasizes the fact that
contaminated soils are the major environmental problem, compounded by the limited and in any case
insufficient social awareness of the possible consequences. This plan takes into account all the applicable
principles of ecological philosophy in recent Spanish legislation and EU legislation in this area. These
new rules relate to waste legislation, the water and environmental responsibility.
Law 10/1998 of 21 April on Waste , Articles 27 and 28 the basic technical and legal regime of
contaminated soils.
Royal Decree 9/2005 , of 14 January , on the list of potentially soil polluting activities and the criteria and
standards for the declaration of contaminated soils.
Regulatory framework for the sector of prevention of noise pollution
EU: Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 .
SP: Law 37/2003 of 17 November on the noise which incorporas the Directive 2002/49/EC
Royal Decree 1513/2005 of 16 December;
Royal Decree 1371/2007 of 19 October
Regulatory framework of the sector management of protected natural areas
EU: Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild
fauna and flora.
SP: State Law 43/2003 of 21 November on Forestry.
Law 5 /2007 of 3 April on National Parks.
Law 42/ 2007 of 13 December, on the Natural Heritage and Biodiversity.
Regulatory framework for renewable energy production
EU: Directive 2009/28/EC of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable
sources (in use starting 25.06.2009)
SP: Renewable Energy Plan 2005-2010 which leads to 12% of primary renewable energy in 2010.
In the Renewable Energy Plan 2011-2020, the Government remains firmly committed to renewable
energy as an essential part of the energy programe of the country. In 2011, 93 % of installed capacity was
renewable and these facilities covered 33% of electricity demand, making Spain one of the most
advanced countries in this regard. However, maintaining the current compensation system is not
compatible with the current economic crisis and falling demand so while the system is reformed and is
moving towards a renewable remuneration framework that promotes an efficient allocation of resources,
proceeds to temporarily paralyze the “State-Pay to Producers” system.
Royal Decree 2818/1998 of 23 December on the production of electrical energy supplied by renewable
resources or energy, waste and cogeneration facilities.
Royal Decree 661/2007 of 25 May on the activity of electricity production in a special regime.
Organisation of the education system in Spain
Since the approval of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the Spanish education system has undergone a
process of transformation by which, gradually, the state administration has transferred functions,
services and resources to the different Autonomous Communities. Thus, over the years from January
1, 1981, when Catalonia and the Basque Country were the means and resources to exercise its powers
in education, until January 1, 2000, they did Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León,
Extremadura and Murcia in non-university education, all communities have assumed the functions,
services and resources both on non-university education and university. This decentralized
management model of Spanish education system distributes powers between the State, the
Autonomous Communities, Local Government and schools.
The State has reserved the exclusive exercise of the powers venlan by the homogeneity and unity of
the education system and guarantee the conditions of basic equality of all Spaniards in the exercise of
their fundamental educational rights determined by the Constitution. They are, for the most part,
regulatory powers for the regulation of basic elements or aspects of the system such, but also has other
executive character.
The Autonomous Communities are entitled to skills development regulations state standards and
regulatory elements or non-core aspects of the education system and the executive-administrative
system management skills in their own territory, with the exception of those are reserved to the State.
The Ministry is the organ of the Central Government responsible for proposing and implementing
the general guidelines of the Government on education policy. To perform these functions, the
Ministry is organized into central services, which form the basic structure, and outreach services,
through which tasks are managed at the regional and provincial levels. In each region, the State
Administration has a body with executive ability to carry out the State educational competencies
exclusively. This body is the High Inspectorate. The Ministry acts as Educational Administration in
the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Each Autonomous Community has set up its own model
of Educational Administration, as in some cases and in others as Counseling Department, in response
to the roles they have assumed and according to the services they have received their respective
statutes.
The division of powers between the different levels coordination between the education authorities is
necessary to ensure the proper performance of certain functions, such as educational policy decisions
that affect the whole system and the general planning of education or information exchange for
statistics education, and the development of educational research, the overall management and
development of teachers and schools record.
The body responsible for providing administrative coordination and exchange of information as to
the general plan for education is the Education Conference, formed by the Directors of Education of the
Autonomous Communities and the minister. Its role is advisory. There are also other committees of
coordination between administrations for different issues.
Education levels in Spain
The education system in SPAIN is organized in stages, cycles, degrees, courses and education levels so
that assure the transition between them and, where appropriate, within each of them.
Teachings offered by the education system are:
a) Child Education b) Primary Education c) Compulsory secondary education d) Bachiller
e) Vocational Education f) Language Education g) Artist Education h) Sport Education
i) Adult Education j) University education
The Spanish University System is made up of two types of universities: public and private.
University education
According to the Organic Law 6/2001 of universities, the public universities are institutions created by
the Law of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Community, established within its jurisdiction
and also those institutions created by Law by the Spanish Parliament, proposed by the government and in
accordance to the Autonomous Community where the institution will be established.
In contrast, Private Universities are those institutions created by physical persons or legal bodies in virtue
of section 6 of article 27 of the Spanish Constitution, with respect to the constitutional princi- ples and
subject to the Organic Law 6/2001 of universities.
That is to say that whether a university be public or private depends on ownership: on the one hand there
are public universities created by a public entity; and on the other hand there are private universities
created by physical persons or legal bodies.
There are also universities that are specialized in online studies that allow to study and obtain Bachelor’s,
Master and Doctorate degrees. Additionally, more and more public and private universities include the
possibility of taking part of their academic offer online.
Degrees that are Offered
According to what is established in the Organic Law 6/2001, within the autonomy of the universities,
they can issue an official degree that are valid within the National territory, in addition to diplomas and
non official degrees.
• Official degrees:
Official University degrees are valid in all National territory, are established by the Government and are
adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Therefore, they have official validity in all the
countries that comprise the EHEA. These degrees are equivalent to/recognized in other countries that do
not pertain to this area (countries like Latin America, Asia, Africa, etc.).
• Non-official degrees:
Meanwhile, non-official degrees are created by the university and do not have validity in the EHEA.
Therefore they are not equivalent in other countries, but valid only by the same public or private
university that has given the degree.
The degrees may be differentiated by its denomination according to whether it is non-official or official.
The denomination of the official university degrees are: Bachelor’s, Masters and Doctorate while the
denominations of the non-official university degrees are Non-official Bachelor’s Degree, Non-official
Masters, Masters Specialist and Masters Expert. Non-official Doctorates Degrees do not exist.
Structure of university studies
Master’s degrees
Since its adaptation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the new structure of university
stud- ies in Spain comprises three levels: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD. The Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees and PhD programs are grouped into the following areas of knowledge:
• Arts and Humanities
• Sciences
• Health Sciences
• Social and Legal Sciences
• Engineering and Architecture
Spain has a range of generalist universities offering studies in all areas, and specialist institutions with a
markedly technological orientation. Our university system also includes institutions offering distance
learning and online learning. Most Spanish Universities offer English taught programs.
Bachelor
Bachelor’s degree is the first step in university education, allowing students to acquire a methodological
and scientific approach to their education.
The extension is generally 240 ECTS except for those degrees that by European rules have 300 ECTS
(Degrees of Dentistry, Veterinary, Pharmacy and Architecture) or 360 ECTS (Medical Grade).
Master’s Degree
Master’s degree is the second cycle of university studies. The student will further advance his or her
knowledge and specialize in a particular field, or acquire an interdisciplinary formation, oriented to
academic or professional specialization, or to the introduction to research tasks.
Some official university Masters degrees qualify for the practice of regulated professions in Spain (some
in engineering, architecture, and the field of health sciences). In these cases the government has the
authority to establish the conditions that must comply with the curriculum, ensuring that the necessary
skills for each profession are acquired.
Access: the holders of a Spanish or other official EHEA country university bachelors degree gives the
right to access to the Master ́s degree programs. Graduates from other countries can also enter if they
accredit before the corresponding university a level of education equivalent to that of Spanish titles and
that their bachelor diploma gives access to postgraduate studies in the country of origin.
PhD
Its purpose is the advanced training in research techniques and will include the development and presentation of an original research project (dissertation).
Doctoral studies are organized into programs, which may include research training activities not structured in ECTS credits, and that in any case will end with the preparation and defense of the doctoral
thesis. To access to an official doctoral program, it is generally required to be in possession of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, plus a Master degree. They can also access the dissertation:
– Those students with a Spanish or EHEA degree giving access to an official Master that have passed at
least 300 ECTS, of which 60 of Masters level.
– Those with a Bachelor’s degree that EU law standard has a duration of at least 300 ECTS.
– University graduates who have obtained a position for specialized medical training and have positive
evaluation of two years of training for some specialty in Health Sciences.
– Those who have a foreign degree equivalent to the level of training of a Master’s degree in the
awarding country giving access to PhD. Therefore, it is recognized by the University to organize the
program, without additional approval.
– Those who are already in possession of a Spanish PhD title.
Lifelong learning
On November 18, 2011, the Spanish Government released the Nationl Strategy for Lifelong Learning in
the report “Lifelong Learning in Spain. New Learning Opportunities”.
The document reflects that Spain has reached levels slightly above the European average in adult
participation in education and training. Thus, in 2010, 10.8% of the population between 25 and 64
years participated in formal or non formal education, while the figure for the European Union is 9.1%.
In May 2009 the Council of the European Union endorsed the objective of achieving a rate of
15% for 2020, since this year it is expected that 85% of jobs require qualifications at medium-high level.
With this prospect, it should worry about the existence of numerically important groups that have low or
no qualifications, and which we should give priority attention for facilitating their social integration and
employment. These groups are: the adult population (over 16) that lacks the basic skills for compulsory
education, which according the Spanish national Survey on People at Work in the second quarter of
2010, is 33.5%. We must also pay special attention to the workforce that lacks accreditation
of professional qualifications which amounts to 58'2%. On the other hand, we give priority to the group
of young people who did not obtain the Diploma in Secondary Education at the end of 4th year of
Secondary Education (end of compulsory education), and to the young people who leave school early,
which according to 2010 data are the 28.4%. For this reason, the report includes an Action Plan that
presents a systematic way, the necessary measures to meet the targets set by the European Commission to
increase adult learning in the period 2010-2020. It is therefore the necessary concretion at national level
of the EU policies for lifelong learning and, especially, the Action Plan on Adult learning - It's never too
late to learn, approved in 2007.
This Action Plan 2012-2014 has as its starting point the 2007 Action Plan of the European
Commission, and the result of a work process promoted by the Ministry of Education over the past
three years. The main objective is to achieve in this period a participation rate of 12% and 20%, five
points more than the limit set by the EU in 2020. This plan is aimed at the whole population in order to
enhance their professional skills, personal or social, complementing those acquired during passage
through the education system in the early school years. However, the Plan gives priority to groups with
low or no qualifications.
To achieve the objectives set by Europe for lifelong learning, the Government of Spain
proposes to the authorities, regional governments, social partners and interested organizations or
entities in the sector, the coordination of their actions and resources and the participation in the following
areas strategic, related and consistent with the Plan of Action 2010-2011 of the Ministry of
Education, Sustainable Economy Act, and the Royal Decree 1/2011 on urgent measures to promote the
transition to stable employment and retraining of unemployed people:
. Develop mechanisms to facilitate the return of the adult education to the educational system to
obtain the Diploma in Secondary Education.
. Generalizing the recognition of professional skills as a mechanism to increase the qualifications of
the workforce, in particular low-skilled workers.
. Establish new ways of access to vocational training, and to reconcile work and study for young
people who leave prematurely.
. Update and strengthen the acquisition of new professional competencies to successfully meet the
changing labour market.
.
Promote the access of adults to high school, to vocational training and the university.
. Provide education and training, formal and informal, to people at risk of social exclusion as a
strategy to support the overcoming of poverty and marginalization.
. Disseminate among the citizenship the opportunities for lifelong learning.
. Establishing mechanisms for quality improvement and periodic evaluation of the implementation of
policies related to lifelong learning, with participation of all stakeholders.
These strategic areas are divided into 25 Actions in which it is possible to integrate the activities currently
under development and those to be implemented by the various authorities, social partners
and Civil Society Organisations involved in lifelong learning.
The need of Green Skills introduction into Chemical Engineering education
“When will ecologists learn engineering and ecologists learn ecology?”
William Mitsch, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of “Ecological Engineering”
Experts in the field of education in general and in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering are split over
which is more desirable: specific green chemical skills training or a more general background including
more specific subjects different from the traditional ones. Production industrial sectors are divided by the
same manner. Some years ago the journal Nature published a special report on Green Chemistry (Gewin,
2006) citing hiring managers of some important companies. For example the hiring managers at the
multinational General Electric (GE), green qualifications are less important than raw talent while others
say green chemists have some advantages, including greater awareness of environmental issues. It is now
widely accepted that students following the Green Principles in their education in green chemistry are
uniquely positioned to address industry concerns because of their specific training in both industry
regulations and particular process constraints.
Another important point concerning the need of green skills implementation is job creation in the field of
Chemical Industry bearing in mind the steady decline of students in chemistry titles in Europe. It is not a
secret that chemistry has not been a popular career choice in recent years worldwide. Particularly in
Europe, with 1.7 million people employed in the chemical industry in the 27 countries of the European
Union, the industry is fighting to remain a competitive employer. To avoid the radical decline in chemical
industry employment, the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem;
http://www.suschem.org) clearly promotes novel skills such as expertise in biocatalysis, process design
and nanotechnologies. To increase work in these areas, SusChem hoped to boost the European Union's
funding of training and research in chemistry by 75%, to 5.5 billion euros till last 2013. SusChem fully
supports the Innovation Union and the goals of the EUROPE 2020 Strategy addressing direct technical
innovation areas and two supporting areas such as Resource and energy efficiency; Water; Raw materials;
Smart Cities; Enabling Technologies; and Education.
In order to meet the Horizon 2020 goals, innovate successfully and remain sustainably competitive the
European chemical sector needs human resources equipped with the right mix of skills.
Motivated by recommendations in the report of the European Commission’s High Level Group on the
Competitiveness of the European Chemical Industry published in July 2009, the Chemical Industry
Council (CEFIC) published a study which aimed to investigate the critical – business, personal, scientific
and technical – skills that scientists and engineers will need to boost innovation in the European chemical
industry of the future (see the next Fugure). It can be seen that the main need concerns
Multidisciplinary/Interdisciplinary Broad Skills set introduction into the Chemistry Curricula.
One of the most important conclusions when analysing the available literature on Green Chemistry, Green
Jobs, and Green Skills is that there is an urgent need to design appropriate educational schemes and
resources that can be used at undergraduate and Masters level to develop the skills needed the chemical
industrial sectors.
In support of the above, let’s take Ecological Engineering, which should obligatory include
Green/Sustainable Concepts. Ecological engineering is defined as the design of sustainable ecosystems
that integrate human society with its natural environment for the benefit of both (Mitsch, 1993, 2012).
The goals of ecological engineering are well defined as: (1) the restoration of ecosystems that have been
substantially disturbed by human activities such as environmental pollution or land disturbance, and (2)
the development of new sustainable ecosystems that have both human and ecological value (Mitsch and
Jørgensen, 2004). Particularly the development of new sustainable ecosystems makes ecological
engineering broader. According to Prof. Mitsch, who is an expert in Ecological Engineering and the
Editor-in-Chief of the journal of Ecological Engineering, “ecosystem restoration, as currently practiced
throughout the world, is done by practitioners who have little experience in design (scientists study
systems, they do not design systems) and by engineers who do not appreciate the capabilities of
ecosystems to self-design (engineering is a field devoted to removing uncertainty and controlling natural
processes)” (Mitsch, 2014). The approaches of many restorations projects that are less successful than
anticipated are over-designed by engineers with unsustainable technology. The main conclusion of
progress evaluation of six long-term restoration projects in the USA, is that for this kind of ecological
activities to become more accepted and predictable, they need to be better integrated and more
transdisciplinary-organized in Universities. It appears that ecological engineering academic programs
controlled by engineers alone are unsuccessful because of the lack of both ecological and biological
training in traditional engineering programs. Similarly, the field of restoration ecology should provide
more allowance for emerging ecosystems, and “not always focus on putting things back to the way they
were”. Design and problem solving of mega-ecological problems are needed in the fields of ecological
engineering and ecosystem ecology. Engineers and scientists should recognize the importance of the
naturally occurring self-design and accept time as a component in ecosystem development when
designing projects aimed at creation of functional ecosystems. These expert recommendations of Prof.
Mitsch based on long-term observations of in fact green-oriented activities illustrate the urgent need of
reconstruction of both Engineering and Ecological Curricula in order to create more sustainable and
science-based Green Education in Universities. Similar conclusion can be made following the most recent
evolution of the trajectory of “green articles” which shows that in the field of research Green Chemistry
in general broadens its focus (in particular to the field of biocatalysis) and is trying to work at the
intersection of different knowledge fields or principles.
Active skills policies will therefore be important, with the main lessons pointing to the need of
anticipating future skills requirements and make adjustments in education and training systems. In
the field of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Biotechnology the value of encouraging the
acquisition of generic skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (skills defined as STEM
skills) is an important task as well as the urgent need to boost green skills development as an adaptive
response to the rapid climate challenges.
An excellent example in this direction is the initiative of the
OECD that has created a Forum on Green Skills, bringing together stakeholders in skills development for
a low-carbon economy
(See http://www.oecd.org/employment/greeningjobsandskills.htm).
Occupations in the field of Chemical Engineering (and related) which require university (1 and 2
level) education in Spain
The classification criteria used are the type of work carried out and skills. Skills are taken to mean the
ability to perform tasks that are inherent to a specific job, for which two points of view are taken on
board: the level and specialisation of the skills. The actual Spanish National Classification (CNO-11) is
more broken down than the previous national classification. It presents an intermediate level between the
first and second levels of the latter, which smoothes the structure and which should be regarded as an
alternative to the Large Groups. The objective is to guarantee uniform handling of statistical data
regarding occupations on a national level and their international and community comparability.
Two groups of occupations (university profiles, titulos-SP) are included in the next table: chemistry and
engineering, which are directly related to the field of Chemical Engineering and others, which are
somehow (but closely) related to the field of Chemical Engineering. Their general tasks and specific tasks
are presented underlying the green abilities.
Universities where the corresponding degrees are included in the programs are listed the Anexes 1-4.
CODE/
OCCUPATION
CHENISTRY AND
ENGINEERING
2413/
CHEMISTS
SPECIFIC FIELD
TASKS/SKILLS
GREEN ABILITIES
CHEMISTS
Organic
Inorganic
GENERAL TASKS: Chemists conduct research,
improve or develop concepts, theories and
operational methods, or apply scientific
knowledge of chemistry to develop new
knowledge or products and to control the quality
and processes.
(enter Group 1)
SPECIFIC TASKS
- Conduct research and improve or develop
concepts, tools , theories and operational
methods of chemistry;
- Carry out experiments , tests and analyzes to
investigate the chemical composition , energy
and chemical transformations of various
substances , materials and natural, artificial or
synthetic products;
- Develop environmental control procedures ,
and quality control for several other
manufacturers or users;
- Conduct programs to collect and analyze
samples and data to identify and quantify toxic
environmental substances ;
- Participate in multidisciplinary research and
development chemical engineers, biologists ,
microbiologists , agronomists , geologists and
other professionals;
- Use microorganisms to convert substances into
new compounds;
- Determine ways to strengthen or combine
existing materials or develop new ones;
- Reproduce and synthesize substances existing
in nature and create new artificial ;
- Preparing papers and scientific reports .
2435/
CHEMICAL
ENGINEERS
- chemical engineers
- chemical engineers, oil
and natural gas
- chemical engineers,
rubber and plastic
GENERAL TASKS: Chemical engineers are
planning and conducting chemical and technical
requirements for the production of various
substances and products, crude oil, oil, food and
beverages, pharmaceuticals, plastics processes,
and research related thereto.
SPECIFIC TASKS
- Conduct research, design and develop a
commercial scale chemical processes to refine
crude oil and other liquids or gases and
substances and manufacture products, such as
petroleum products, explosives, food, beverages,
drugs or synthetic materials;
- Determine the requirements to be met by
chemical factories and develop relevant
specifications;
- Specify production methods, materials and
quality standards, and to ensure that they
comply with the established rules;
- Locate and correct deficiencies;
- Organizing and directing maintenance and
repair of equipment;
- Consider technological aspects of particular
materials, products or processes;
- Preparing presentations and reports of
academic or scientific purposes;
- Performing related tasks;
- Supervising other workers.
LATERAL
CHEMICAL
OCCUPATIONS
analysis; fertilizers;
agriculture; rubber;
corrosion;
crystallography;
detergents;
electroquimica;
plant protection;
food industry;
pharmaceutical
industry;
metallurgical industry;
glass industry;
cosmetics; paints
petrochemical;
plastics; polymers;
textiles; dyes;
mineral chemicals;
chemical nuclear
(Could enter Groups 2
& 3)
2436/
MINING
ENGINEERS,
METALLURGICAL
AND RELATED
ENGINEERS IN:
- metallurgy
- mines
- oil and natural gas
GENERAL TASKS
Mining engineers, metallurgists and related
planning and conducting the work of prospecting
and mining plan, organize and direct the mining
and preparation of ores for distribution and
treatment, and investigate the matter.
SPECIFIC TASKS
- Conduct research and design, develop or improve
methods to solve technical problems of mining
engineering or extracting oil, gas or water;
- Determine the most effective methods of mining
and extraction and the type of machinery to be
used, and the layout plan and direct the construction
of shafts and tunnels;
- Determine drill sites and devise methods to
control the flow of water, oil or gas wells;
- Planning and directing storage, initial treatment
and transportation of water, oil or gas;
- Establish safety procedures and first aid services,
particularly underground;
- Conduct research, develop methods for
extracting metals from their ores and advise on
its implementation;
- Study the properties of metals and alloys, create
new alloys, supervising technical aspects of the
production and processing of metals and alloys, and
advising;
- Examining deposits or mines to evaluate
profitability;
- Performing related tasks;
- Supervising other workers.
RELATED
OCCUPATIONS
2421/
BIOLOGISTS,
bacteriologists;
biotechnologists;
GENERAL TASKS: Biologists, botanists,
zoologists and related professionals study living
BOTANISTS,
ZOOLOGISTS AND
RELATED
PROFESSIONALS
2437
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERS
botanical cellular
geneticists;
marine biologists;
microbiologists;
molecular biologists;
molecular geneticists;
pharmacologists;
zoologists
organisms and their interactions with each other
and with the environment, and apply their
knowledge to solve problems related to human
health and the environment. They work in
various fields such as botany, zoology, ecology,
marine biology, genetics, immunology,
pharmacology, toxicology, physiology,
bacteriology and virology.
(Could form separate
Groups)
SPECIFIC TASKS
- Conducting research in the laboratory and in
the field to expand scientific knowledge of living
things; new information; test hypotheses; solve
problems in fields such as environment,
agriculture and health; and develop new
products, processes and techniques for
pharmaceutical, agricultural and environmental
use;
- Design and conduct experiments and tests;
- Collect specimens and data from humans,
animals, insects and plants, and study their
origin, development, chemical and physical
constitution, structure, composition and vital
and reproductive processes ;
- Examine living organisms using different
apparatus, instruments , technologies and
techniques, such as electron microscopes,
telemetry systems , global positioning systems ,
biotechnology, satellite imaging , genetic
engineering , digital image analysis, reaction and
polymerase chain modeling computer ;
- Identify, classify, record, and control living
organisms and maintaining databases;
- Write scientific articles and reports in which
research and new discoveries to be made
available to the scientific community through
scientific publications or conferences for detailed
examination and debate are described;
- Design and conduct environmental impact
assessments to identify changes caused by
natural or human factors;
- To advise the government, organizations and
companies in the fields of conservation, natural
resource management , the effects of climate
change and pollution.
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERS;
- environmental
GENERAL TASKS: Environmental engineers
conduct research, advise, plan and direct the
implementation of solutions to prevent, control
analyst;
- engineers, control of
air pollution;
- engineers, wastewater
processing
(Could enter Groups 2
& 3)
or remedy the negative impacts of human
activity on the environment by using various
techniques of engineering. Conduct
environmental assessments of projects of
construction and civil engineering and
engineering principles applied to pollution
control, recycling and waste disposal.
SPECIFIC TASKS
- Conduct investigations and assessments and
report on the environmental impact of
construction activities , civil engineering and
other existing or proposed ;
- Inspect industrial and municipal facilities and
programs to evaluate the effectiveness of its
operations and ensure compliance with
environmental regulations ;
- Plan and oversee the development of systems ,
processes and equipment control, management
or restoration of water quality , air or soil;
- Assist in environmental engineering tasks
relating to network analysis , analysis and
compliance review of the development of
databases;
- Obtain , update, and maintain plans , permits
and standard operating procedures ;
- Provide technical and engineering assistance in
environmental restoration projects and
environmental disputes , including the draft
recovery systems and the specification of the
applicability of the rules;
- Monitor progress of environmental
improvement programs ;
- Advising the private sector and public
administration on the procedures to be followed
in cleaning contaminated to protect people and
the environment places ;
- Collaborate with environmental scientists ,
planners, hazardous waste experts , engineers
and other legal and business disciplines in
examining environmental issues experts.
2422/
AGRONOMISTS
- Agronomists,
horticultural
- Soil scientists
- Engineers zootechnology
- Engineers
GENERAL TASKS: Agricultural engineers
conduct research, improve or develop concepts,
theories and methods, and apply their scientific
knowledge in fields such as agriculture and
animal husbandry.
phytotechnology
(Could form separate
groups)
SPECIFIC TASKS: - Research on agricultural
crops and pastures and devise new methods;
- Research on animal husbandry techniques,
breeding and animal husbandry;
- Investigate the features, usability and
productivity of soils and apply the results to the
improvement of agricultural and horticultural
practices and tasks;
- Preparing presentations and reports of
academic or scientific purposes;
- Performing related tasks;
- Supervising other workers.
Final notes related to Green Jobs and Green Skills need:






The mission of the Green Chemistry is to advance sustainability through the implementation
of green chemistry and engineering principles into all aspects of the chemical enterprise.
Many experts suggest that the most fundamental barrier to the wider adoption of green chemistry
is mindset — which largely reflects the way chemists are taught. “In the United States, chemists
get trained rigorously in chemistry, but don’t see any engineering, product design, or lifecycle analysis,” (Eric Beckman, a chemical engineer at the University of Pittsburgh in
Pennsylvania cited by Sanderson, Nature, 2011). The curricular conservatism is another
important characteristics that reflects the often negative reactions of academic chemists to
green chemistry.
If industry is to adopt green chemistry technologies, today's students must be trained to design
products and processes that do not use hazardous substances. Through green chemistry
education, a new generation of chemists will be better equipped to meet tomorrow's scientific
challenges.
Demands for engineers, scientists and technicians are set to boom. For example, UK will
need 100,000 new engineers by 2020, while Germany with its even more ambitious
“energiewende” decarbonisation strategy reckons it will need 300,000 engineers.
One of the recommendations of the International Labour Office (ILO, 2013) when analysing the
green jobs current state is encourage acquisition of generic skills: Generic skills are
increasingly important, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM skills) which will be needed for new research and development to achieve breakthroughs
for greening economies. They will also enhance labour force mobility generally.
The Spanish National Classification System of Occupations (2011) is a useful tool for
determining, comparing, and “greening” different professions within Chemistry, Engineering,


Biology, Ecology, Agronomy, and other related fields of activity.
The Spanish Education covers all of the above professions and contains a great number of study
programmes within level 6.
Green abilities can be find in a wide number of professions and, in addition, could be grouped in
interrelated profiles.
References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World,
September 2008, UNEP
Mitsch, W.J., 1993. Ecological engineering - a cooperative role with the
planetary life-support systems. Environ. Sci. Technol. 27, 438–445.
Mitsch, W.J., 2012. What is ecological engineering? Ecol. Eng. 45, 5–12.
Mitsch, W.J., Jørgensen, S.E., 2004. Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem
Restoration. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, pp. 411.
Epicoco et al., 2014. Knowledge dynamics and sources of eco-innovation:
Mapping the Green Chemistry community. Technological Forecasting and
Social Change, 388-402.
Anastas P.T., J.C. Warner, 1998. Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, Oxford
University Press, New York.
Anastas, P.T., and Zimmerman, J.B., “Design through the Twelve Principles of
Green Engineering”, Env. Sci. Tech. 2003, 37(5), 94A-101A
“Green jobs in a sustainable economy. Executive summary” 2010 by
Biodiversity Foundation (FB) and the Observatorio de la Sostenibilidad en
España (OSE) Editors: Luis M. Jiménez Herrero (OSE) and Ana Leiva (FB)
J. SimpsonA Shared Vision for Sustainable Development in Higher Education
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) (2010) Available
online at: http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2010/09/a-shared-vision-for-sustainabledevelopment-in-higher-education
Gabriel Calzada Álvarez, Raquel Merino Jara, Juan Ramón Rallo Juliá y José
Ignacio García Bielsa: Study of the effects on employment of public aid to
renewable energy sources. PROCESOS DE MERCADO. Volumen VII,
Número 1, Primavera 2010
OECD. (2012). Targeting New Growth Areas: Innovation and environmental.
Euroobserv'er. (2012). The state of Renewable energies in Europe. Retrieved
January 7, 2014
P. Domadenik. (2012). Analiza povpraševanja po delu v Sloveniji v okviru
modela strateškega prestrukturiranja podjetij. Univerza v Ljubljani, Ekonomska
fakulteta. Ljubljana.
Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo in okolje RS (2013). Retrieved Januray 8, 2014 from
http://www.mko.gov.si/. MKO RS.
15. Gewin V (2006) Chemistry Evolution. Nature 440, 378-379 (15 March 2006) |
10.1038/nj7082-378a
16. http://www.cefic.org/Industry-support/Implementing-reach/Guidances-andTools1/
17. ILO, International Labor Office, (2013) Sustainable development, decent work
and Green Jobs. Report V. International Labour Conference, 102nd Session.
18. CBI: The colour of growth: Maximising the potential of green business
(London, 2012), p. 6. Available at
http://www.cbi.org.uk/media/1552876/energy_climatechangerpt_web.pdf
19. OECD (2010) United Kingdom Policies for a Sustainable Recovery.
http://www.oecd.org/unitedkingdom/45642018.pdf
20. OECD (2011) OECD Perspectives: Spain Policies for a sustainable recovery
http://www.oecd.org/spain/44686629.pdf
21. Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), 2012. Low carbon
environmental goods and services: report for 2010-11; Office for National
Statistics (ONS), 2012, Quarterly national accounts Q4 2011; Office for Budget
Responsibility (OBR), 2012, Economic and fiscal outlook
22. UK to lag competitors in 2020 green jobs race. Special Report, The Ends
Report (http://www.endsreport.com/24716/uk-to-lag-competitors-in-2020green-jobs-race) 2010.
23. Green economy: a UK success story. 2012, Green-Alliance Report.
24. Sanderson K (2011) It’s not easy being Green. Nature, 469, 6.
25. Trade bodies: skills gap to scupper green goals, 2009. ENDS Report 418.
26. E. Cuevas Riaño: The Spanish occupational observatory (under PES) and their
27.
28.
29.
occupational research for green jobs, Presentation at the technical validation
workshop on “Skills for Green Jobs”, Geneva, 17–18 May 2010.
Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales (MTAS): Estudio Marco sobre sectores y
ocupaciones medioambientales (Madrid, Observatorio de las ocupaciones del
servicio publico de empleo estatal, 2006).
MTAS: Perfiles de las ocupaciones medioambientales y su impacto sobre el empleo
(Madrid, Observatorio de las ocupaciones del servicio publico de empleo estatal,
2008).
OECD and Eurostat: The environmental goods and services industry: Manual for
data collection and analysis (Paris, 1999).
Instituto Nacional de Estadistica. http://www.ine.es
Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. http://www.mecd.gob.es/
30.
31.
32. Masters and University Programs. http://www.emagister.com
33. University Resources. http://www.educaweb.com
ANEX 1
DEPARTMENTS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING IN SPANISH UNIVERSITIES
Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universidad de Almería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Química.
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Química y Física Aplicada.
Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Química.
Universidad de Cádiz. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología de Alimentos
Universidad de Cantabria. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Biomolecular
Universidad de Cantabria. Departamento Química e Ingeniería de Procesos y Recursos
Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universidad de Extremadura. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Química Física.
Universidad de Granada. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universidad de Huelva. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Química Física y Química Inorgánica.
Universitat Jaume I. Departament d'Enginyeria Química.
Universidad de Las Palmas. Departamento de Ingeniería de Procesos.
Universidad de Málaga. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universidad de Murcia. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universidad de Oviedo. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología del M. Ambiente.
Universidad del País Vasco. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya. Departament d'Enginyeria Química.
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Departamento de Ingeniería Química Industrial y del M. Ambiente.
Universitad Politécnica de Valencia. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universitat Ramón Llull. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Departamento de Tecnología Química y Ambiental.
Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Departament d'Enginyeria Química.
Universidad de Salamanca. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Textil.
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. Departamento de Enxeñaría Química.
Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Ingeniería Química.
Universitat de València. Departament d'Enginyeria Química.
Universidad de Valladolid. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología del Medio Ambiente.
Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente.
ANEX 2.
BACHILLER IN CHEMISTRY













Grado en Química Facultad de Química (UMU) (Murcia) Grado en Química Facultad de
Química (USE) (Sevilla)
Grado en Química Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia -UNED-Distancia
Grado en Química Facultad de Ciencias, Estudios Agroalimentarios e Informática - Unirioja
Presencial (Logroño)
Grado en Química Facultad de Ciencias (UCA) (Puerto Real)
Grado en Química Universidad de Navarra (UNA) (Pamplona/Iruña)
Grado en Química Facultad de Ciencias (UBU) (Burgos)
Grado en Química Universidad de Murcia (UMU) (Murcia)
Grado en Química Facultad de Ciencias (UMA) (Málaga)
Grado en Química Facultad de Ciencias (UA) (Alicante)
Grado en Química Escola Universitària Politècnica (UIB) (Palma de Mallorca)
Grado en Química Facultad de Química. Campus Vigo (UVI) (Vigo)
Grado en Química Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (UCM) (Madrid)
Grado en Química
Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
ANEX 3.
BACHILLER IN BIOLOGY
 Grado en Biología Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) (La Laguna)
 Grado en Biología Universidad de Salamanca (USAL) (Salamanca)
 Grado en Biología Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) (Madrid)
 Grado en Biología Sanitaria Facultad de Biología (UAH) (Alcalá de Henares)
 Grado en Biología Universidad de Navarra (UNA) (Pamplona/Iruña)
 Grado en Biología Facultad de Ciencias (UA)
(Alicante)
 Grado en Biología Sanitaria Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (UAH) (Alcalá de Henares)
 Grado de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona)
 Grado en Biología Facultad de Biología (UAH) (Alcalá de Henares)
 Grado en Biología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Campus de Móstoles de
la Universidad Rey J
(Móstoles)
 Grado en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular Facultad en ciencia y tecnología (Leiola)
 Grado en Biología Universitat de Vic (UVIC)
(Vic)
 Grado en Biología Facultad de biología (USC)
(Santiago de Compostela)
 Grado en Biología Universidad de Jaén (UJA)
(Jaén)
 Grado en Biología Escola Universitària Politècnica (UIB) (Palma de Mallorca)
 Grado en Biología Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) (Madrid)
 Grado en Biología Facultad de Biología (UB)
(Barcelona)
 Grado en Biología Facultad de Ciencias (UdG)
(Girona)
 Grado en Biología Facultad de Ciencias (UMA)
(Málaga)
 Grado en Biología Facultad en ciencia y tecnología (Leiola)
ANEX 4. BACHILLER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES






























Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Universidad Católica de Avila
Universidad de Alcalá
Universidad de Almería
Universidad de Cádiz
Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Universidad de Córdoba
Universidad de Extremadura
Universidad de Granada
Universidad de Huelva
Universidad de Jaén
Universidad de León
Universidad de Málaga
Universidad de Murcia
Universidad de Salamanca
Universidad de Zaragoza
Universidad del País Vasco
Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes
Universidad Miguel Hernández
Universidad Pablo de Olavide
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Universidad de Vigo
Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitat De Girona
Universidad de Valencia
Universitat de Vic
Universitad Politecnica de Valencia
CHEMISTRY &
ENGINEERING
Title
Official Postgraduate
Programme in
Biogeochemical Flux
Dynamics and
Applications
Postgraduate Program in
Environmental
Engineering and
University
Universidad de
Granada
Universidad
Politécnica de
Cartagena
Chemical Process and
Biotechnology
Official Postgraduate
Programme in Chemical
Processes and Products
Program in
Biogeochemical
Dynamics Flows and
Applications at the
University of Córdoba;
the University of
Granada and the
University of Málaga
Program in Chemical
Process Engineering
from the Polytechnic
University of Catalonia
Official Doctoral
Program Flow
Biogeochemical
Dynamics and
Applications
Programa Oficial de
Doctorado en Ingeniería
Ambiental y de Procesos
Químicos y
Biotecnológicos
Programa Oficial de
Doctorado en Ingeniería
de Procesos Químicos
Official Sustainable
Development Doctoral
Program in Chemical
and Process Engineering
Officer PhD Program in
Chemical Processes and
Products
Graduate in Chemical
Process Engineering
from the University of
Santiago de Compostela
Master in Chemical
Analysis, and Structural
Biochemistry at the
University of Oviedo
Máster Universitario en
Ingeniería Ambiental y
de Procesos Químicos y
(Shared with other
Universities)
(Shared with other
Universities)
Universidad
Politécnica de
Catalunya
(Shared with other
Universities)
Universidad
Politécnica de
Cartagena
Universidad
Politécnica de
Catalunya
Universidad del País
Vasco/Euskal
Herriko
Unibertsitatea
Universidad de
Huelva
Universidad de
Santiago de
Compostela
Universidad de
Oviedo
Universidad
Politécnica de
Cartagena
Biotecnológicos
Máster Universitario en
Ingeniería Ambiental y
de Procesos Químicos y
Biotecnológicos
Máster Universitario en
Ingeniería de Procesos
Químicos y
Ambientales
Master in Chemical
Process and
Environmental
Engineering
Universidad
Politécnica de
Cartagena
(Shared with other
Universities)
University of
Santiago de
Compostela
Master in Chemical
Process Engineering and
Sustainable
Development
University of País
Vasco/Euskal
Herriko
Unibertsitatea
Màster oficial en síntesi
de productes,
catalitzadors i processos
químics sostenibles
University Rovira
and Virgili
(Catalunya)
Applied Material
Chemistry
University of
Barcelona
Master in
Electrochemistry,
Science and Technology
University of
Barcelona
Master in Chemistry
University of
Salamanca
Master in Chemiscal
Engineering
University of
Salamanca
Master in Theoretical
Chemistry and
Computational
Modelling Salamanca
University of
Salamanca
Official Master's Degree
in Residues and
Contaminants
University of Almeria
Master chromatographic
techniques: GC, GCMS, HPLC
Institut Universitari
de Ciencia i
Tecnología
(Cat)
Master Organic
Chemistry
University of
Barcelona
Master in Chemical
Catalysis and Molecular
Modelling
University of Girona
Master in
Pharmaceutical
Chemistry
University of Ramon
Llull
Erasmus Mundus CHIR
(Chemsitry and
Innovation)
University of
Barcelona
Master in Nanoscience
Materials and Processes
University of Rovira
and Virgilli
Master in Applied
Chemsitry
Autonomous
University of Madrid
Master in Organic
Chemsitry
Autonomous
University of Madrid
Erasmus Mundus in
Theoretical Chemistry
and Computational
Modelling
Autonomous
University of Madrid
Master in Chemical
Engineering
University of Murcia
Master in Agricultural
Chemistry
University of Murcia
Master in Fine and
Molecular Chemistry
University of Murcia
Master in Organic
Chemistry
Master in Synthetic and
Industrial Chemistry
Complutence
University - Madrid
University of Pais
Vasco
Máster in Advansed
Study in Chemistry
University of Sevilla
Chemical Engineering
University of
Cantabria
Master in Organic
Experimental and
Industrial Chemistry
University of Islas
Baleares
Master in Theorical
Chemistry and
Computational
Modelization
University of Islas
Baleares
Máster
in Orgánic Chemsitry
University of
Valencia
Master in Chemical
Engeniering Química "
Sosteinble Production
and Consumption "
Universoty of
Cantabria
Master in Applied
Chemsitry and
Polymeric Materials
University of Pais
Vasco
Master in Medical
Chemistry
University of
Alicante
Master in Inorganic
Molecular Chemsitry
University of Alcala
Master in Fine
Chemsitry
University of Alcala
Master in Theoretical
Chemistry and
Computational
Modelling
University of Vigo
Máster Universitario en
Investigación en
Ingeniería de Procesos
Químicos
Universidad
Politécnica de
Catalunya