Training course on Green Fiscal Policy and Social Protection Nexus

Training Course on Green Fiscal Policy and Social Protection Nexus

Introduction 

The twin crises of climate change and socio-economic inequality demand integrated policy responses. Green Fiscal Policies – such as carbon pricing, environmental taxes, and environmentally motivated subsidies – aim to internalize environmental externalities, incentivize sustainable behaviors, and generate revenue for climate action. Training Course on Green Fiscal Policy and Social Protection Nexus is meticulously designed to equip with the expert knowledge and practical methodologies to design, implement, and evaluate green fiscal policies that are socially just and effectively integrated with social protection systems. The program focuses on carbon pricing mechanisms, energy subsidy reform, revenue recycling strategies, social impact assessments, just transition frameworks, and the use of social protection as an adaptive mechanism, blending rigorous analytical frameworks with practical, hands-on application, extensive global case studies (from both developed and developing countries), and intensive policy simulation and design exercises. Participants will gain the strategic foresight and technical expertise to confidently navigate complex trade-offs, fostering unparalleled environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic resilience, thereby securing their position as indispensable leaders in driving a truly just and green transition.

This intensive 10-day program delves into nuanced methodologies for assessing the distributional impacts of various green fiscal instruments on different income groups and vulnerable populations, mastering sophisticated techniques for designing effective revenue recycling strategies (e.g., lump-sum transfers, reduced labor taxes, support for green skills training) to offset regressive impacts, and exploring cutting-edge approaches to leveraging social protection programs as adaptive tools during environmental transitions (e.g., climate-adaptive social protection, public works programs for green infrastructure), developing comprehensive Just Transition strategies that include social dialogue and reskilling initiatives, analyzing the role of international climate finance in supporting integrated green fiscal and social protection policies, and building institutional capacity for cross-ministerial coordination. A significant focus will be placed on understanding the interplay of green fiscal policy with broader macroeconomic stability and employment generation, the specific challenges of data availability and modeling in different country contexts, and the practical application of stakeholder engagement and communication strategies to build public acceptance for reforms.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze core concepts and strategic responsibilities of Green Fiscal Policy and its nexus with Social Protection.
2. Master sophisticated techniques for assessing the distributional impacts of environmental taxes, carbon pricing, and energy subsidy reforms on households and vulnerable groups.
3. Develop robust methodologies for designing and implementing effective revenue recycling strategies to mitigate the regressive effects of green fiscal measures.
4. Implement effective strategies for leveraging existing and new social protection programs as adaptive mechanisms to cushion the social impacts of green transitions.
5. Manage complex considerations for integrating Just Transition principles into green fiscal policy design and implementation.
6. Apply robust strategies for designing and financing public works programs that contribute to green infrastructure and provide social protection.
7. Understand the deep integration of green fiscal policy with broader climate finance and international cooperation mechanisms.
8. Leverage knowledge of global best practices and lessons learned from countries that have successfully integrated green fiscal and social protection policies.
9. Optimize strategies for enhancing inter-ministerial coordination and stakeholder engagement in designing and implementing integrated policies.
10. Formulate specialized recommendations for addressing challenges such as data limitations, political feasibility, and public acceptance in green fiscal reforms.
11. Conduct comprehensive assessments of the potential for green fiscal policies to generate new fiscal space for social protection investments.
12. Navigate challenging situations such as fossil fuel lobby resistance, energy poverty, and informal sector impacts in the transition to a green economy.
13. Develop a holistic, evidence-based, and politically astute approach to Green Fiscal Policy and Social Protection Nexus, ensuring equitable and sustainable outcomes.

Target Audience:

This course is designed for professionals interested in Green Fiscal Policy and Social Protection Nexus:

1. Policymakers & Senior Government Officials: From Ministries of Finance, Environment, Social Protection, Labor, and Planning.
2. Economists & Fiscal Analysts: Working on environmental economics, public finance, and social policy.
3. Environmental Agency Professionals: Involved in climate policy, pollution control, and natural resource management.
4. Social Protection Specialists: Designing and managing cash transfers, social insurance, and public works programs.
5. Labor Union Representatives & Workers' Organizations: Advocating for just transition for affected workers.
6. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) & Advocacy Groups: Focused on climate justice, poverty, and environmental sustainability.
7. Development Partners & International Organizations: Supporting green growth, climate action, and social protection.
8. Academics & Researchers: Studying environmental policy, social welfare, and sustainable development.

Course Duration: 10 Days

Course Modules:

• Module 1: Foundations of Green Fiscal Policy and its Rationale (Day 1)
• Defining green fiscal policy: Environmental taxes, subsidies, public expenditures.
• Rationale: Internalizing externalities, behavioral change, revenue generation, green growth.
• Types of green fiscal instruments: Carbon taxes, energy taxes, pollution charges, eco-subsidies.
• Environmental and economic objectives of green fiscal policies.
• Global trends in green fiscal reforms and their adoption.
• Module 2: Understanding Social Protection and its Role in Development (Day 1)
• Overview of social protection functions: Poverty reduction, vulnerability reduction, human capital development, economic stabilization.
• Key instruments: Social assistance (cash transfers), social insurance (pensions, health, unemployment), labor market programs (public works).
• The importance of universal and adaptive social protection systems.
• Social protection as a tool for resilience building against various shocks, including climate-related ones.
• Introduction to the concept of a "just transition" in the context of socio-economic change.
• Module 3: Distributional Impacts of Green Fiscal Policies (Day 2)
• Assessing the incidence of environmental taxes: Who bears the burden (producers vs. consumers, rich vs. poor)?
• Regressive nature of certain environmental taxes (e.g., fuel taxes on low-income households).
• Impact of energy subsidy reform on household budgets and energy poverty.
• Methodologies for distributional impact analysis: Household surveys, micro-simulation models.
• Case studies of observed distributional impacts from various countries (e.g., France's carbon tax protests, fuel subsidy reforms in Nigeria/Indonesia).
• Module 4: Revenue Recycling Strategies for Equity and Acceptance (Day 3)
• Strategies for recycling green fiscal revenues: Lump-sum transfers (carbon dividends), reduced income/labor taxes.
• Targeted transfers to vulnerable households to offset increased costs.
• Investing in public services or green infrastructure that benefit the poor.
• The "double dividend" hypothesis: Environmental improvement and economic efficiency/equity gains.
• Designing revenue recycling to enhance public acceptance and political feasibility.
• Module 5: Social Protection as a Mitigating and Adaptive Mechanism (Day 4)
• Using existing social protection programs to compensate affected populations (e.g., expanding cash transfer caseloads, increasing benefit levels).
• Developing shock-responsive social protection systems for climate-related events.
• Integrating climate risk management into social protection program design.
• Social protection's role in supporting adaptation to climate change (e.g., through asset building, diversified livelihoods).
• Examples of climate-adaptive social protection programs globally.
• Module 6: Just Transition Principles and Social Dialogue (Day 5)
• Defining a "Just Transition": Ensuring no one is left behind in the shift to a green economy.
• Key pillars of a Just Transition: Social dialogue, decent work, reskilling/upskilling, social protection, community development.
• The role of social dialogue platforms (governments, employers, workers) in policy design.
• Addressing labor market implications of green transitions (job losses in carbon-intensive sectors, new green jobs).
• Developing training and reskilling programs for workers in affected industries.
• Module 7: Green Public Works and Employment Programs (Day 6)
• Designing public works programs that contribute to environmental objectives (e.g., reforestation, ecosystem restoration, renewable energy installation).
• Providing income support and skills development for vulnerable workers through green employment initiatives.
• Integrating social protection objectives with environmental conservation goals.
• Financing mechanisms for green public works programs.
• Examples of successful green public works programs and their social benefits.
• Module 8: Fiscal Space, Revenue Generation, and Investment (Day 7)
• Potential for green fiscal policies to generate substantial and stable revenue streams.
• Using green revenues to expand fiscal space for social protection investments.
• The interplay between green fiscal reforms and broader public financial management.
• Attracting private and international climate finance to support integrated policies.
• Case studies of countries using environmental taxes to fund social or environmental programs.
• Module 9: Governance, Coordination, and Data Challenges (Day 8)
• The imperative for inter-ministerial coordination (Finance, Environment, Social Protection, Labor).
• Establishing multi-stakeholder platforms for policy dialogue and implementation.
• Data requirements for effective analysis and monitoring of integrated policies.
• Challenges of data availability, quality, and attribution in the green-social nexus.
• Building institutional capacity for designing and managing complex integrated policies.
• Module 10: International and Regional Cooperation (Day 8-9)
• The role of international climate finance (e.g., Green Climate Fund) in supporting integrated approaches.
• South-South cooperation and knowledge exchange on green fiscal and social protection policies.
• Regional initiatives and harmonized approaches to carbon pricing and environmental taxation.
• Opportunities for technical assistance and capacity building from international organizations.
• Aligning national policies with global commitments (e.g., Paris Agreement, SDGs).
• Module 11: Policy Design, Communication, and Political Feasibility (Day 9-10)
• Developing coherent and sequenced policy packages for green fiscal and social protection reforms.
• Strategies for effective communication to explain the rationale and benefits of reforms to the public.
• Building public acceptance and managing resistance to potentially unpopular measures.
• Addressing the political economy of fossil fuel subsidies and entrenched interests.
• Learning from successful and failed policy reforms in various contexts.
• Module 12: Integrated Policy Scenario Planning and Action Plan Development (Day 10)
• Interactive workshop: Participants work in groups to develop an integrated policy scenario.
• Applying tools for distributional analysis and revenue recycling to a specific country context.
• Designing a framework for monitoring and evaluating the social and environmental impacts of integrated policies.
• Developing a preliminary action plan for advancing the green fiscal policy and social protection nexus in their respective countries.
• Presentation of group work and peer feedback, fostering practical application.

 

Training Methodology

• Interactive Workshops: Facilitated discussions, group exercises, and problem-solving activities.
• Case Studies: Real-world examples to illustrate successful community-based surveillance practices.
• Role-Playing and Simulations: Practice engaging communities in surveillance activities.
• Expert Presentations: Insights from experienced public health professionals and community leaders.
• Group Projects: Collaborative development of community surveillance plans.
• Action Planning: Development of personalized action plans for implementing community-based surveillance.
• Digital Tools and Resources: Utilization of online platforms for collaboration and learning.
• Peer-to-Peer Learning: Sharing experiences and insights on community engagement.
• Post-Training Support: Access to online forums, mentorship, and continued learning resources.

 

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

• Participants must be conversant in English.
• Upon completion of training, participants will receive an Authorized Training Certificate.
• The course duration is flexible and can be modified to fit any number of days.
• Course fee includes facilitation, training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch, and a Certificate upon successful completion.
• One-year post-training support, consultation, and coaching provided after the course.
• Payment should be made at least a week before the training commencement to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice, to enable better preparation.