From November 9th to 11th 2023 a seminar entitled “Implementation of new technology in working processes - environmental protection as a prerequisite for sustainable development“, was held in Split / Croatia. The seminar was organized by HKD Napredak (Hrvatsko kulturno društvo Napredak), with the support of EZA and funded by the European Union. Representatives of labour organizations from ten different EU countries participated in this seminar, including the host country.
At the beginning of the seminar Nikola Čiča, president of the HKD Napredak, welcomed all the participants and expressed satisfaction that we gathered in such a large number and that HKD Napredak is once again the organizer of this important meeting of EZA.
Rapid social and political changes, and the advancement of new technologies impose numerous questions in the area of sustainable development, environmental protection, preserving and improving jobs, so the lecturers and participants of this seminar tried to answer many questions through their lectures.
The lecturers emphasized that each application of new technologies in work processes brings progress in all phases of work. New technologies and work processes should be directed more towards environmental protection, since every new development affects the environment, and some negative impacts on the environment can also be seen.
Along with practical examples of applications of new technologies in Department for process quality management in telecommunications their advantages and challenges were highlighted, and how their application contributes to progress. Already existing examples from practice were mentioned, and mistakes were pointed out that should not be repeated. In the continuation of the lecture, the positive aspects of artificial intelligence in terms of reducing the financial costs of pharmaceutical research were mentioned, 20% less time spent on research, but also the opening of new issues in terms of employee retraining due to the introduction of artificial intelligence in work progress. Also, the planned project of the Science and innovation centre was presented, which fits into the strategic goals of the National Development Strategy 2030., and from the aspect of environmental sustainability, the SIC building will be realized as a kind of living laboratory for the application of energy efficient technologies based on the integration of renewable energy sources, and as a kind of demonstration centre and example of good practice.
One of the questions that arose throughout presentations and discussion is whether there is a formula for sustainable development? The topic related to the situation in Ukraine and Israel was inevitable, and how it affects changes in Europe and the whole world. The economic branch that we often associate with sustainable development and environmental protection is tourism. According to the example of tourism in Croatia, the challenges of sustainable development were presented, such as labor shortage, excessive tourism, climate change and extreme events, pandemics, fears about the future, economic uncertainty - recession, inflation, rising energy prices, and others. Some solutions have been suggested, such as adaptation to the climate (urban architectural planning, significant infrastructure projects) and mitigation of climate change (clean technologies, alternative forms of transport, and every small change, eg. daily activities of tourists and residents towards nature, food, water) which should act together. One of the conclusions is that we have reached a point where the costs of our lifestyle can no longer be „externalized“, in sense of transferring the obligation to someone else or „socialize“, i.e. transferred to society instead of being borne by the one who causes them. That is why the green transition was also mentioned here, because it is no longer a matter of choice, because there is no alternative. The circular economy has the potential to create jobs because reuse and recycling are more labor intensive than disposal by dumping or incineration. Private companies are joining the circular economy driven by profit, therefore, it is important that the newly created demand for labor integrates into circular economy, respecting collective agreements, labor and social rights, and ensuring good working conditions. It is noted that working conditions in the recycling sector also reveal the dark side of the circular economy, where employees are exposed to serious risks. Therefore, the use of robotics in the waste management sector is increasing, and in this way the risks at work for employees are reduced. Digitalization brings additional threats to social sustainability because it requires digital literacy in the entire society. On the one hand, transformation driven by technology brings opportunities, such as the creation of new jobs, increased safety at the workplace. On the other hand they lead to disruptions in labor markets, erosion of labor rights, job losses, which mostly affects lower-skilled workers.
How new technologies contribute to the preservation and protection of the environment was the next topic, where the lecturers reflected on the impact of nuclear energy and long-term sustainable space. Nuclear energy is the cleanest and the safest for the environment if it is handled properly; has zero CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and has the highest yield of nuclear energy per kilogram of fuel. Its future depends on the technological development of the process (pre-production ans post-production) and the rationalization of radiophobia (education), and the limitation of war profiteering (consensual acts and reduction of plutonium).
During the seminar, it was pointed out that the important role of trade unions is in ensuring better working conditions with the application of new technologies, which is being intensively worked on. In agreement with employers, efforts are being made to create better working conditions for all employees, and the real reasons for employee departures from their workplaces and departures to other countries are investigated. It was emphasized that the reasons for leaving the workplace are mostly the attitude and behaviour towards the employee on a daily basis, corruption, nepotism, lack of perspective for building a life, inability for academic and professional training and others, and not so much the introduction of new technologies.
The question that was attempted to be answered is whether the education system follows the demands of the labour market. In the countries of the European Union, the education system is more adapted to the needs of the labour market, while in the candidate countries, due to its complexity and incompatibility with the requirements of the labour market, the education system creates personnel who are insufficiently educated and do not follow the needs of the market. Measures to solve this problem are the system of dual education, retraining of the unemployed, introduction of new occupations into the education system, raising the awareness of young people about their choice of profession, tax reform and the authorities regarding the outflow of trained labour. It was pointed out that a greater contribution from employers in the education system is needed, and the Government is needed in order to increase the salaries of employees. It was concluded that the educational system should start with professional orientation of students as soon as possible so that they can discover their preferences and interests as early as possible. Preference is given to the system of dual education, where theory is connected with practice in a real environment where the results of work are immediately visible, and the promotion of master's qualifications, which should be placed at a higher level in order to be more appreciated on the market.
Regarding climate change, it was pointed out that climate change does not refer to the future, because it is happening now and the whole world is affected. In addition to the rise of the sea level, the temperature of the sea has also increased, and we are witnessing other phenomena that confirm this thesis. The biggest problems are extreme storms, floods and fires, which are becoming more common. We must adapt our daily work and life to climate changes as soon as possible, and we will succed in this with new technologies and innovations, such as, for example, the construction of a dam in case of a rise in sea level, the construction of residential areas outside endangered areas, in which every work process must be focused on environmental protection.
One of the main conclusions of the seminar is that the application of new technologies has positive sides, namely the application of artificial intelligence and new technologies in terms of reducing financial costs and safer application for employees and the environment, and its application raises questions in terms of protecting employees jobs, retraining employees and changes in the education system – dual education. Introduction of new technologies will certainly lead to the loss of various jobs and professions, so it is very important to adapt the education system and the labor market.
The goal of sustainable development is not profit growth, as we have recently noticed that this process is going in that direction, where we can see the harm in preserving the environment and the working conditions of employees, but in addition to economic development and social progress, environmental protection should be the basis. Along with the safe and controlled use of renewable recourses, we need to advance technological development in order to ensure a safer future for society. Problems and questions related to climate change and environmental protection remain open, as well as changes and improvement of the working conditions of employees, and also the combining theory and practice, in order to ensure future workplace with educated staff, which will certainly be a topic in future seminars.
The theme of the seminar is in accordance with EU strategies for adaptation to climate change and plans for the future, where the necessary data was collected and exchanged for the purpose of improving and exchanging knowledge about the effects of climate change, and looking for natural solutions in building resilience to climate change.