IRENA Hosts Inaugural Renewable Energy Jobs Conference in Abu Dhabi
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Experts and policymakers meet to share knowledge, experiences and best practices
The first conference ever on the theme of global employment in the renewable energy sector, the IRENA Renewable Energy Jobs Conference was held in Abu Dhabi yesterday. The event, hosted by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), brought together an international audience of experts, practitioners, academics and other stakeholders to discuss all aspects of job creation in the sector. At the centre of discussions were the findings of IRENA’s new report, Renewable Energy and Jobs, that was launched yesterday. The conference took place alongside the UAE capital’s World Future Energy Summit and as part of Abu Dhabi’s Sustainability Week 2014.
“In a world recovering from an economic crisis and stressed by high unemployment rates, the number of jobs that can be created through renewable energy development is an important consideration for policy-makers,” Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of IRENA, said. “It is critical that we unleash the full potential of human capacity to meet the challenge of the green energy economy. This will be the next pillar of sustainable growth.”
IRENA’s Director General Adnan Z. Amin, speaking at IRENA’s Renewable Energy Jobs Conference, highlighted the socio-economic benefits of renewable energy.
A series of five sessions gathered over 200 participants from all over the world to discuss global employment dynamics; the policy environment that can maximise the potential for job creation; education and training policies required; and local development benefits, including the empowerment of women.
“5.7 million people are now employed in the renewable energy sector worldwide, and in light of the growing conversation on the positive socio-economic impact of renewables, it is the right time to convene the first-ever conference on this subject,” Rabia Ferroukhi, Senior Programme Officer at IRENA and lead author of Renewable Energy and Jobs, said. “We hope that the insights and recommendations outlined at today’s conference will inform the future policy design to support further job creation and maximise benefits from the transition towards a more sustainable energy system.”
The report is available to download here.
