10M+ people employed in renewables

The number of people working in the clean power industry worldwide has broken the 10 million barrier for the first time, according to a new report.

More than 500,000 of the 10.3 million total were added last year, the latest Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reveals. The US, China, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Brazil and India are the biggest employers, with 60% of the jobs in Asia.

“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.” said Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency. “The data also underscores an increasingly regionalised picture, highlighting that in countries where attractive policies exist, the economic, social and environmental benefits of renewable energy are most evident.”

He added: “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.”

IRENA also said last year that more than double the current 1o.3 million figure, some 24 million, will be working in green energy by 2030.