Report

Renewable Energy Jobs: Status, prospects & policies. Biofuels and Grid-Connected Electricity Generation

By Christopher Beaton, Lucy Kitson, Lucy Kitson on February 16, 2012

The job-creating potential of renewable energy is analyzed in Renewable Energy Jobs: Status, prospects & policies, a recent IRENA Working Paper.

Noting that governments are increasingly seeking win-win solutions to the dual challenge of high unemployment and climate change and that policy-makers in many countries are now designing renewable energy policies that aim to create new jobs, build industries and benefit particular geo graphic areas, the paper has been written to provide an overview of current knowledge on five questions:

  • How can jobs in renewable energy be characterized?
  • How are they shared out across the tech nology value chain, and what skill levels are required?
  • How many jobs currently exist, and where are they in the world?
  • How many renewable energy jobs could there be in the future?
  • What policy frameworks can be used to promote employment benefits from re newable energy?

The paper focusses primarily on grid-connected electricity generation technologies and biofuels.

Report details

Topic
Subsidies
Energy
Focus area
Climate
Publisher
IRENA
Copyright
IRENA, 2012