Global Renewable Energy Workforce Now Size of Switzerland: 8.1 Million

More than 8.1 million, roughly the equivalent of the entire country of Switzerland, are now employed by the renewable energy industry worldwide – a five per cent increase from last year.

The new data released today (25 May) also provides a global estimate of the number of jobs supported by large hydropower, with a conservative estimate of an additional 1.3 million direct jobs worldwide.

Renewable energy jobs continue to rise even as employment in the broader energy sector falls, the report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows. And with more than a third of the global renewable energy capacity additions in 2015, China led employment with 3.5 million jobs.

“As the ongoing energy transition accelerates, growth in renewable energy employment will remain strong,” IRENA director-general Adnan Z. Amin said. The research also indicates that the renewable energy sector employed larger shares of women than the broader energy sector.

Renewable energy now employs 8.1 million people worldwide, finds new @IRENA report #REjobshttps://t.co/NHrJLwu8gW pic.twitter.com/CNwhrFuqc8

— IRENA (@IRENA) May 25, 2016

24 Million Jobs

IRENA estimates that doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030 – enough to meet global climate and development targets – would result in more than 24 million jobs worldwide.”

Aside from China, countries with the most renewable energy jobs in 2015 included Brazil, the United States, India, Japan and Germany.

Germany remains the highest renewables employer in the European Union – employing nearly as many as France, the United Kingdom, and Italy combined. But the report also highlights Denmark and the UK as global leaders in offshore wind employment.

“This increase is being driven by declining renewable energy technology costs and enabling policy frameworks. We expect this trend to continue as the business case for renewables strengthens and as countries move to achieve their climate targets agreed in Paris,” says Amin.

National and state auctions in India and Brazil, tax credits in the United States and favourable policies in Asia have all contributed to employment increases, the report says.

Growth in Wind And Solar

In the United States, renewable energy employment increased 6 per cent driven by growth in wind and solar.

Solar employment grew 22 per cent – 12 times faster than job creation in the United States economy