Global employment in renewable energy reached 12.7 million jobs in 2021, a rise of 700,000 new jobs in one year, according to a new report.

Geneva.- Such a report was attained despite the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing energy crisis, according to the report Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2022, which identifies domestic market size as a major factor influencing job generation in renewables, along with labor and other costs.

Solar energy was found to be the fastest-growing sector. In 2021 it provided 4.3 million jobs, more than a third of the current global workforce in renewable energy.

With growing concerns about climate change, COVID-19 recovery, and supply chain disruption, national interest is growing in localizing supply chains and creating jobs at home.

The report describes how strong domestic markets are key to anchoring a drive toward clean energy industrialization. Developing renewable technology export capabilities is also dependent on this, it added.

Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s Director-General, said; “In the face of numerous challenges, renewable energy jobs remain resilient, and have been proven to be a reliable job creation engine.

My advice to governments around the world is to pursue industrial policies that encourage the expansion of decent renewable jobs at home.

The report shows that an increasing number of countries are creating jobs in renewables. Nearly two-thirds of all these jobs are in Asia. China alone accounts for 42% of the global total, followed by the EU and Brazil with 10% each, and the USA and India with 7% each.

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, said; “Beyond the numbers, there is a growing focus on the quality of jobs and the conditions of work in renewable energies, to ensure decent and productive employment. (PL)