2021-10-14-IRENA-Renewable_Energy_and_Jobs_–_Annual_Review_2015_16页_2mb

Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review 2015 Summary

This report highlights the significant growth and distribution of renewable energy employment globally in 2014. Key findings include:

Global Employment

• Renewable energy employment reached an estimated 7.7 million jobs in 2014, excluding large hydropower, representing an 18% increase from the previous year (IRENA, 2015).

Leading Technologies

• Solar PV employed the largest number of people (2.5 million), with China accounting for two-thirds (1.64 million) of these jobs. Japan also saw growth, while the EU declined by 35%. (IRENA, 2015)
• Biofuels (1.8 million) followed, with Brazil and the US remaining dominant.
• Wind power surpassed 1 million jobs, with China accounting for 502,400 out of 730,000 total jobs.

Key Regions by Technology

• Solar Heating and Cooling: Dominated by China (764,000 jobs).
• Small Hydropower: China employed over half (209,000 jobs), followed by the EU and Brazil.
• Large Hydropower: Estimated at 1.5 million direct jobs, mostly in construction.

Leading Countries

• The top 10 job markets were China, Brazil, US, India, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, France, Bangladesh, and Colombia.

Employment Growth Dynamics

• China remains the key driver, with strong manufacturing and deployment growth.
• Brazil, Japan, and Indonesia show recent gains, while the EU, US, and Germany faced headwinds due to manufacturing competitiveness and policies.

Challenges and Opportunities

• Technological advancements and policy shifts affect sector growth, notably in solar PV (e.g., falling prices) and manufacturing competitiveness (e.g., European supply issues).
• Emerging markets in Southeast Asia and Africa are developing new employment corridors.

Methodology and Key Notes

• Data includes direct jobs; employment was influenced by favorable policies.
• IRENA estimates methodology continues to evolve with global data refinement.

Policy Recommendations

• Stable and predictable support policies are crucial for unlocking employment potential, particularly in manufacturing, deployment, and maintenance. Continued technological innovation is key to sustainable growth.

This report underscores the importance of renewables in global employment and highlights policy-sensitive growth across regions.