Global renewables jobs reached 16.2 million in 2023

The highest-ever growth in renewables jobs occurred in 2023, increasing from 13.7 million in 2022 to 16.2 million, according to the new Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2024 by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and International Labour Organization (ILO).

This 18% year-on-year leap reflects the strong growth of renewables generating capacities, together with a continued expansion of equipment manufacturing, according to the report.

However, the report shows an uneven global picture. China leads with an estimated 7.4 million renewable energy jobs, or 46% of the global total. This is followed by the EU with 1.8 million, Brazil with 1.56 million, and the US and India each with close to 1 million.

However, hydropower was an outlier in the overall growth trend, with the number of direct jobs estimated to have shrunk from 2.5 million in 2022 to 2.3 million in 2023. This is despite the fact that renewable hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy globally, representing 51.2% of total renewable electricity generation. The report attributes the drop in jobs to a slowdown in deployment. China, India, Brazil, Viet Nam and Pakistan were the largest employers in the hydro industry.

As in the past few years, the strongest impetus came from the rapidly growing solar photovoltaics (PV) sector. Solar PV supported 7.2 million jobs globally. Of these, 4.6 million were in China, the dominant PV manufacturer and installer. Enabled by significant Chinese investments, Southeast Asia has emerged as an important export hub of solar PV, creating jobs in the region.

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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 second, with a quarter of global biofuels jobs.

In the wind sector, China and Europe remain dominant. As leaders in turbine manufacturing and installations, they contributed 52% and 21% to the global total of 1.5 million jobs, respectively.

Despite immense potential, Africa continues to receive only a small share of global renewables investments, which translated into 324,000 renewables jobs in 2023. For regions in urgent need of reliable and sustainable energy access, and especially in remote areas, decentralised renewable energy (DRE) solutions present an opportunity to plug the access gap and generate jobs. Removing barriers for women to start entrepreneurship initiatives in DRE can stimulate the sector, resulting in improved local economies and energy equity, the report said.

“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 marginalized regions in addressing barriers impeding their transitions progress,” said Francesco La Camera, IRENA director-general. “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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To meet growing demand for diverse skills and talents, policies must support measures in favor of greater workforce diversity and gender equity. Representing 32% of the renewables total workforce, women continue to hold an unequal share. It is essential that education and training lead to diverse job opportunities for women, youth, and members of minority and disadvantaged groups.

"Investing in education, skills, and training helps reskill all workers from fossil fuel sectors, address gender or other disparities, and prepare the workforce for new clean energy roles. It is essential if we are to equip workers with the knowledge and skills that they need to get decent jobs, and to ensure that the energy transition is a just and sustainable one,” explained ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo.

This 11th edition of the Annual Review is part of IRENA’s analytical work on the socio-economic impacts of a renewables-based energy transition. This edition – the 4th developed in collaboration with ILO – calls for a holistic policy framework that goes beyond the pursuit of technological innovation to rapidly meet the tripling target at the lowest-possible cost, and prioritises local value creation, ensures the creation of decent jobs, and builds on active participation by workers and communities in shaping the energy transition.

Originally published on hydroreview.com