Renewable energy investment and deployment is paying off, and in spades, when it comes to addressing a basic issue plaguing developed and developing countries alike: an inability to generate jobs that pay a good living wage. Around the world, renewable energy job creation continues to far outpace that for economies overall. Some 7.7 million people are now employed across the global renewable energy value chain, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). That’s up 18 percent from 6.5 million in 2014, the agency noted in its 2015 Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review.
Renewable energy investment and deployment is paying off, and in spades, when it comes to addressing a basic issue plaguing developed and developing countries alike: an inability to generate jobs that pay a good living wage. Around the world, renewable energy job creation continues to far outpace that for economies overall.
Some 7.7 million people are now employed across the global renewable energy value chain, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). That’s up 18 percent from 6.5 million in 2014, the agency noted in its 2015 Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review.
In terms of technology, companies in the business of solar photovoltaic (PV) energyemploy more people than any other renewable energy market segment, with most people employed in “downstream” jobs such as installing PV systems. Geographically, China’s renewable energy companies employ more people than any other country. Rounding out IRENA’s ranking of the top 10 countries in terms of renewable energy jobs are Brazil, the United States, India, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, France, Bangladesh and Colombia.
Studying the impacts of renewable energy job growth
Studies conclude that renewable energy deployment generates twice as many jobs, or more, compared to fossil fuel development. Growing renewable energy investment and deployment, moreover, is doing much more than providing electrical power in countries around the world. It’s helping governments, businesses and societies address a wide range of critical, interconnected social and environment issues. Renewable energy job creation, for example, is driving down the greenhouse gas emissions that are the main culprit causing rapid shifts in climate, as well as other forms of ecosystems destruction and natural resource degradation.
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Green job image via Shutterstock.
