This October 20–22, the World Bank’s Korea Green Growth Trust Fund (KGGTF) will host Korea Green Innovation Days (KGID) 2025 at WBG Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in Washington, D.C., bringing together global leaders, policymakers, and innovators. Anchored by the theme “Green Growth: The Path to Sustainable Jobs”, this year’s discussion will center on one of the defining questions of our time: how to create jobs that power the green transition.
The shift to sustainable and resilient economies is often framed in terms of technology, policy, or finance. But its success ultimately depends on people, and the jobs that enable families and communities to thrive. Green growth must mean more than cleaner air and resilient infrastructure; it must also generate jobs that are dignified, inclusive, and future ready. From solar technicians in Sub-Saharan Africa to sustainable transport planners in Latin America, the green transition is already reshaping labor markets. The challenge ahead is to scale these opportunities so that millions more benefit.
The KGGTF has been planting seeds for this shift for over a decade. With over 200 programs worldwide, it has helped countries pilot innovations in agriculture, renewable energy, circular economy, and urban resilience. These programs show how green growth delivers employment at scale: training teachers and farmers in digital agriculture in Uzbekistan; preparing urban planners to design affordable, sustainable housing in South Asia; supporting waste workers in Nepal through solid waste management systems that turn trash into value; and enabling small enterprises in West Africa to thrive through circular-economy business models. Each is an example of how green solutions also create jobs.
Momentum is building. Earlier this year, the Trust Fund’s donor, Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF), expanded its funding envelope significantly to meet growing global demand. This expansion signals Korea’s recognition and commitment that the green transition is not only about climate, it is about jobs, livelihoods, and economic growth. It also aligns closely with the World Bank’s priority on jobs and economic transformation, recognizing that sustainable employment is central to ending poverty on a livable planet. And at KGID 2025, three dozens of Korean partners, bringing their frontier technologies in areas such as smart mobility, renewable energy, and digital agriculture, will fly to Washington to share solutions and forge new collaborations.
KGID 2025 will focus squarely on this connection. By convening governments, development partners, research institutions, and the private sector, the event will spotlight how partnerships can unlock larger investments, embed job creation into national green growth strategies, and accelerate knowledge exchange around the globe.
“Green Growth: The Path to Sustainable Jobs is more than a theme for KGID 2025, it is a call to action. The message is clear: the future of green growth is inseparable from the future of work. By scaling up proven solutions and investing in people, KGID 2025 can help ensure the green transition delivers not just sustainability, but prosperity, making Green Growth: The Path to Sustainable Jobs a reality for all.