Reframing Green Skills Ecosystems in Fragile States: A Case Study of Lebanon's Workforce Transition

Abstract

As countries confront environmental and economic crises, the shift to a green economy depends not only on technological innovation but on strategic workforce development. This paper introduces a novel green skills ecosystem framework, integrating institutional theory, education-to-employment pathways, and just transition principles to analyze how countries, particularly fragile states, can build inclusive green labor markets. Using Lebanon as a contextual case study, the paper identifies critical gaps in training access, policy alignment, and governance coordination. By bridging global conceptual insights with national-level dynamics, the research reframes green skills not only as labor market attributes but as systemic capacities essential to equitable and resilient sustainability transitions. The findings offer transferable insights for policy, education reform, and global green skills governance in crisis-affected and developing regions.