Measuring the socio-economics of transition: Focus on jobs

Well-crafted deployment, integrating and enabling policies for renewable energy could create millions of new jobs as countries around the world pursue sustainable long-term energy solutions. This Staff Technical Paper published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) outlines the evolving global and regional distribution of jobs in renewables, energy as a whole, and economy-wide.

A special in-focus segment illuminates job figures for key technologies and major occupational groups along different segments of the value chain.

Among the highlights:

• Coherent policy-making, adjusted for the economic and social context of each region, can deliver on climate and energy goals effectively and fairly.
• Accelerated uptake of renewables could boost total energy jobs to 100 million by 2050.
• Energy efficiency jobs would reach 21 million, with 21% higher growth than current plans indicate.
• Jobs in renewables could reach 42 million by 2050, some 62% more than under current plans.
• Asia could account for 64% of jobs in renewables by 2050, the Americas 15%, and Europe 10%.
• In terms of all energy jobs, Asia could have over 60% by 2050, the Americas 13%, and Europe 12%.
• Despite the largely positive impact of the transition, governments will have to address some inevitable misalignments along the way.