Phovoltaics continued to lead job growth in the global renewables sector last year, accounting for a total of 7.2 million jobs around the world, with nearly 64% of those, or 4.5 million, in China, the dominant PV manufacturer and installer, according to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Overall, 2023 saw the highest ever increase in renewable energy jobs, from 13.7 million in 2022 to 16.2 million. The 18% year-on-year leap reflects the strong growth of renewable energy generating capacities along with a continued expansion of equipment manufacturing, the newly released Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2024 found.
The report illustrates an uneven global picture, however: Close to two-thirds of new global solar and wind capacity were installed in China alone last year. The country leads with an estimated 7.4 million renewable energy jobs, or 46% of the global total. The EU follows with 1.8 million, Brazil with 1.56 million, and the United States and India, each with close to 1 million jobs.
China has also played a significant role in expanding renewables in Southeast Asia through major investments, transforming it into an important export hub of solar PV and creating jobs in the region.
The EU, with its combined 27 member states, trails China in PV jobs with 720,000. India had 319,000 solar sector jobs, ahead of the US with 279,000 and Brazil with 264,000.
In terms of installed capacity, a record 347 GW of solar PV were added worldwide — 74% more than the previous record in 2022. China accounted for 63% of that added capacity, followed by the US with 7.2%, Germany with 4.1%, Brazil, 3.5%, and India with 2.8%.
“So dominant is China’s position that its 2023 additions alone far exceed the cumulative capacity of any other country to date,” the report stated. After China, the rest of the top ten installers (the US, Germany, Brazil, India, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Japan and Australia) added a combined 83.4 GW.
Liquid biofuels had the second-largest number of jobs, followed by hydropower and wind. Brazil topped the biofuels ranks, accounting for one-third of the world’s 2.8 million jobs in this sector. Soaring production put Indonesia in second, with a quarter of global biofuels jobs.
Hydropower has suffered from a slowdown in deployment, leading to an estimated decline in the number of direct jobs from 2.5 million in 2022 to 2.3 million. China, India, Brazil, Vietnam and Pakistan were the largest employers in the industry.
China and Europe remain dominant in the wind sector. As leaders in turbine manufacturing and installations, they contributed 52% and 21% to the global total of 1.5 million jobs, respectively.
The report stressed the lack of major renewables investments in Africa, despite the immense resource potential. The continent accounted for only 324,000 renewables jobs in 2023.
“For regions in urgent need of reliable and sustainable energy access like Africa, and especially in remote areas, decentralised renewable energy (DRE) solutions – stand-alone systems that are not connected to the utility grids – present an opportunity to both plug the access gap and generate jobs,” IRENA stated.
Acknowledging the high degree of geographic concentration, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera added, “The story of the energy transition and its socio-economic gains should not be about one or two regions. If we are all to fulfil our collective pledge to triple renewable power capacity by 2030, the world must step up its game and support marginalised regions in addressing barriers impeding their transitions progress. Strengthened international collaboration can mobilise increased finance towards policy support and capacity building in countries that are yet to benefit from renewables job creation.”
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