More than 10 million people are employed in the world of renewable energy

16/05/2018

For the first time, the number of people working in the renewable energy sector has exceeded ten million, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Specifically, in 2017, 10.3 million people were working on renewable energy, with 60% of jobs being in Asia. Solar power was the largest employer with nearly 3.4 million jobs.

In 2017, the renewable energy industry has created over 500,000 new jobs, according to IRENA, based in Abu Dhabi. This is an increase of 5.3% compared to 2016. The countries with the most jobs in renewable energy are the United States, China, India, Japan, Germany and Brazil, representing more than 70% of jobs in the sector. According to IRENA's CEO, Adnan Amin, renewable energy has become a low-carbon economic growth pillar for governments around the world, reflecting the growing number of jobs in the sector.

The number of jobs in the solar energy sector rose by almost 9% compared to 2016, after new installations 94 gigawatts last year. About two-thirds, or 2.2 million jobs in solar energy are in China. Liquid biofuels are another big employer with 1.9 million jobs, and hydro power with 1.5 million jobs. Wind jobs in the wind industry fell slightly, accounting for 1.15 million worldwide.

According to the report, while more and more countries are enjoying the socio-economic benefits of cleaner energy, most of the construction works occur in relatively few countries.

"The evidence also highlights an increasingly regional picture, showing that in countries where there are attractive policies, the economic, social and environmental benefits of renewable energy are more prominent. Basically, these data support our analysis that the decentralization of the global energy system can develop the global economy and create up to 28 million jobs in the sector by 2050, "said Amin.