10 million people now work in world renewable energy sector, report shows

The total number of people employed in the global renewable energy industry hit a record 10 million, data from the Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2018, a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released on Tuesday has shown.

According to the report on its website, the total number of people employed in the sector, including large hydropower, now stands at 10.3 million globally, surpassing the 10 million figure for the first time.

China, Brazil, the US, India, Germany, and Japan remain the world’s largest renewable energy employers, representing more than 70 percent of all industry jobs globally.

Although growing numbers of countries are reaping the socio-economic benefits of renewables, the bulk of manufacturing takes place in relatively few countries and domestic markets vary enormously in size.

Adnan Z. Amin, director general, IRENA in a statement said “Renewable energy has become a pillar of low-carbon economic growth for governments all over the world, a fact reflected by the growing number of jobs created in the sector.

“The data also underscores an increasingly regionalized picture, highlighting that in countries where attractive policies exist, the economic, social and environmental benefits of renewable energy are most evident.

“Fundamentally, this data supports our analysis that decarbonisation of the global energy system can grow the global economy and create up to 28 million jobs in the sector by 2050,” Amin added.

IRENA is a global inter-governmental organisation with 155 countries and the European Union and an additional 24 states in accession, supporting countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future.

According to the report, the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry remains the largest employer of all renewable energy technologies, accounting for close to 3.4 million jobs, up almost nine percent from 2016 following a record 94 gigawatts (GW) of installations in 2017.

China was estimated to account for two-thirds of PV jobs — equivalent to 2.2 million — representing an expansion of 13 percent over the previous year.

Despite a slight dip in Japan and the US, the two countries followed China as the largest markets for solar PV employment in the world.

India and Bangladesh complete a top five that accounts for around 90 percent of global solar PV jobs. Jobs in the wind industry contracted slightly last year to 1.15 million worldwide. While wind jobs are found in a relatively small number of countries, the degree of concentration is lower than in the solar PV sector.
China accounts for 44 percent of global wind employment, followed by Europe and North America with 30 and 10 percent, respectively.

Half of the top 10 countries with the largest installed capacity of wind power in the world are European.”
The energy transformation is one of improving economic opportunity and a rise in social wellbeing as countries implement supportive policies and attractive regulatory frameworks to fuel industrial growth and sustainable job creation,” IRENA’s Policy Unit head Rabia Ferroukhi said.

By Ayobami Adedinni