Jobs: Renewable energy sector can employ 42 million people globally by 2050.
Asia could account for 64 per cent of jobs in renewables by 2050.
New Delhi: The number of people employed in renewable energy could reach 42 million globally by 2050, up from about 12 million in 2017, according to a recent report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
It added that an accelerated uptake of renewables could also boost total energy jobs to 100 million worldwide by 2050.
“The most rapid expansion has occurred in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, which now employs over 3.6 million people, putting it ahead of bioenergy, hydropower and wind power,” said the report titled ‘Measuring the socio-economics of transition: Focus on jobs’.
It further added that the solar workforce would be the sector’s largest, at about 19 million, followed by bioenergy at 14 million, wind at six million, and hydropower employing under three million people.
Renewable energy jobs, 2012–2018
According to the report, the growth in renewable energy jobs is due to an increased deployment of renewables.
“Renewables account for more than half of all capacity additions in the global power sector since 2011 and their share in total power generation has steadily increased. Total renewable power capacity in 2018 exceeded 2 300 gigawatt (GW) globally, with most growth coming from new installations of wind and solar energy,” it added.
IRENA said that energy efficiency jobs would reach 21 million, with 21 per cent higher growth than current plans indicate and that renewable energy jobs could reach 42 million by 2050, about 62 per cent more than under current plans.
“Asia could account for 64 per cent of jobs in renewables by 2050, the Americas 15 per cent, and Europe 10 per cent, and in terms of all energy jobs, Asia could have over 60 per cent by 2050, the Americas could amount for 13 per cent, and Europe 12 per cent,” the report said.
It, however, added that despite the largely positive impact of the transition, governments will have to address some inevitable misalignments along the way.
In 2018, about 11 million people were employed worldwide in the renewable energy sector, up from 7.3 million in 2012.
26 February 2020
