The latest report Renewable energies and jobs – 2024 annual report reveals that employment in the renewable energy sector has soared worldwide during the year 2023 and that In Spain there has been a decline in this labor market.
The report, published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), highlights that in Spain, renewable energies employed 127,576 workers in 2023, “which represents a slight decrease of 2.5% compared to the previous year“.
In our country, the international reference agency in the renewable energy sector reflects that “a total of 81,897 jobs were created directly by companies in the sector and 45,679 were created indirectly in other sectors.”
Reduction in wind power and self-consumption
According to IRENA, in its overview of employment in the renewable energy sector in Spain, the drop in employment was due to the reduction in wind turbine installations924 MW installed in 2023, compared to 1,658 MW in 2022).
Also in the chapter of self-consumption There was a decline in employment due to the decrease in installed capacity, which fell from 1,943 MW to 2,649 MW for the year.
the previous year.
The international organization emphasizes that “even if photovoltaic energy intended for sale on the market recorded an increase in 2023, with a total of
5,990 MW installed, the increase was not enough to compensate for the loss of activity in other areas», an analysis carried out with data collected from APPA Renovables.
Growth around the world
However, this decline contrasts with higher annual growth in renewable energy jobs in 2023, which reached 16.2 milliona record that reflects the largest increase in jobs in the sector from 13.7 million in 2022 to 16.2 million.
The 18% jump over one year reflects the strong growth in renewable energy production capacityas well as the continued expansion of equipment manufacturing.
China, giant of renewable energies
However, a closer look at the report’s data reveals a mixed overall picture. About two-thirds of the world’s new solar and wind capacity was installed last year in China alone.
China tops the list with 7.4 million renewable energy jobs, or 46% of the global total. They are followed by the EU, with 1.8 million, Brazil, with 1.56 million, then the United States and India.with almost a million jobs each.
As in recent years, the biggest boost has come from the rapidly growing solar PV sector, which has generated 7.2 million jobs worldwide.
Chinese investments
Among them, 4.6 million in China, the main manufacturer and installer of photovoltaic energy » thanks to the. considerable Chinese investmentsSoutheast Asia has become a major export hub for solar PV, creating jobs in the region,” according to IRENA.
Liquid biofuels occupy second place in terms of the number of jobs, followed by hydroelectric and wind power. Brazil tops the biofuel rankingswith a third of the 2.8 million global jobs in this sector. The increase in production places Indonesia second, with a quarter of global jobs in the biofuel sector.
Slowdown in hydroelectric plant
Due to a slowdown in deployment, “hydropower has become an exception in the overall growth trend, with the number of direct jobs estimated to have fallen from 2.5 million in 2022 to 2.3 million,” says the report. China, India, Brazil, Vietnam and Pakistan are the largest employers in the sector..
In the wind sector, China and Europe continue to dominate as leaders in turbine and plant manufacturing, contributing 52% and 21% respectively to the global total of 1.5 million jobs.
Africa is not taking off
IRENA reports that “despite the immense resource potential, Africa continue to receive only a small part of global investment in renewable energywhich translates to a total of 324,000 jobs in this sector in 2023.
For the regions that urgently need reliable and sustainable access to energy, such as Africaand particularly in remote areas, decentralized renewable energy (RDE) solutions – standalone systems that are not connected to utility networks – “represent an opportunity to both bridge the access gap and generate jobs. Addressing barriers that prevent women from undertaking ERD business initiatives “can stimulate the sector, resulting in improved local economies and energy equity,” says the agency.
Triple renewable energies
Recognizing the high degree of geographic concentration, Francesco La Camera, Director General of IRENA, said that “the history of the energy transition and its socio-economic benefits should not focus on one or two regions. “If we are to meet our collective commitment to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, the world must redouble its efforts and help marginalized regions overcome the obstacles that hinder progress in their transition. »
The agency’s highest representative calls for a strengthening of international collaboration, to “mobilize a increased funding for policy support and capacity development in countries that do not yet benefit from the job creation in the renewable energy sector.
The report notes that to meet the growing demand for diverse skills and talents posed by the energy transition, “policies must support measures promoting greater diversity in the workforce and gender equality.
Gender equality
Concretely, women, who represent 32% of the total workforce in the renewable energy sector, “they continue to have unequal participation even if the number of jobs continues to increase.
IRENA emphasizes that “it is essential that education and training lead to employment opportunities for women, young people and members of minority and disadvantaged groups.
Retraining fossil workers
“Investing in education, skills and training helps retrain all workers in the fossil fuel sectorsto address gender and other disparities and prepare the workforce for new roles in clean energy,” highlights ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo.
This indicates that it is essential if you want to provide workers with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve decent jobsand ensure that the energy transition is equitable and sustainable.
“A sustainable transition is what the Paris Agreement requires of us and what we committed to when we signed the Agreement,” says Houngbo.
Just and inclusive transition
This 11th edition of the annual report on renewable employment is part of the IRENA’s in-depth analytical work about the socio-economic impacts of an energy transition based on renewable energies.
This edition – the fourth prepared in collaboration with the ILO – highlights the importance of approach focused on people and planet to achieve a just and inclusive transition.
Both parties demand “a comprehensive policy framework that goes beyond the pursuit of technological innovation to quickly achieve objective of tripling production at the lowest possible cost, and giving priority to local value creationguarantees the creation of decent jobs and is based on the active participation of workers and communities in shaping the energy transition.
