Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement would create 8 million jobs by 2050, a new analysis published in the journal One Earth found. Currently, 18 million people globally work in the energy sector, which the study defines as only those within the energy system, not adjacent sectors like energy efficiency or electric vehicle production.
If the world limited warming to well below 2°C, that number would increase to 26 million, 5 million more than if we continued on the current trajectory. Of the total energy system jobs in 2050, 84% would be in the renewables sector, 11% in fossil fuels, and 5% in nuclear.
The study authors spent two years looking at data from 50 different countries, including Russia, India and China, giving a more accurate overall picture than previous studies that extrapolated data from the US and OECD countries to estimate job gains globally. There are some countries that would see net job losses, namely major fossil fuel exporters, but the majority are expected to see gains.
Study author Johannes Emmerling told Fast Company that looking at the potential global job growth in the energy sector is important for “debunking some of the myths that say ‘climate policies will destroy our economy.’”
Sources: The Guardian, Fast Company
This is a quick news brief from Nexus Media.
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