Increasing investment in renewable energy is essential to building a more resilient energy system, says Irena director general Francesco La Camera. Antonie Robertson/The National
Increasing investment in renewable energy is essential to building a more resilient energy system, says Irena director general Francesco La Camera. Antonie Robertson/The National
Increasing investment in renewable energy is essential to building a more resilient energy system, says Irena director general Francesco La Camera. Antonie Robertson/The National
Increasing investment in renewable energy is essential to building a more resilient energy system, says Irena director general Francesco La Camera. Antonie Robertson/The National

Renewable sector adds 500,000 new jobs globally in 2019, Irena says


Alkesh Sharma
  • English
  • Arabic

Nearly 500,000 new jobs were created in the renewable sector last year, bringing the total to 11.5 million in 2019, according to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency.

This was 4.5 per cent higher than in 2018, the Abu Dhabi-based agency said in the seventh edition of its Renewable Energy and Jobs report.

Employment in the sector is led by the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry with nearly 3.8 million jobs, or a third of the total.

It was followed by the biofuel, hydropower and wind industries, with 2.5 million, 2 million and 1.2 million jobs, respectively.

“Adopting renewables creates jobs and boosts local income in both developed and developing energy markets,” Francesco La Camera, Irena’s director general, said.

“While today we see a handful of countries in the lead … each country can harness its renewable potential, take steps to leverage local capabilities for industrial development and train its workers,” he added.

The world has witnessed encouraging growth in the number of renewables jobs, but this could be much higher by adopting a “comprehensive policy framework that drives the energy transition”, the report said.

Irena said in June this year that a green stimulus programme could create up to 5.5 million more jobs over the next three years than a business-as-usual approach. Such an initiative would also allow the global economy to create 42 million renewables jobs by 2050.

In 2019, Asia accounted for nearly 63 per cent of total jobs in renewables.

Renewable energy
Renewable energy

China led with a share of 38 per cent of the total and employed nearly 4.4 million people in the sector. Brazil employed 1.2 million people (10 per cent), while India and the US employed 833,000 (7.2 per cent) and 756,000 (6.5 per cent) people, respectively.

Job creation was limited to a few countries, but benefits were more evident, especially through the deployment of solar PV technologies, the report said.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which shuttered borders and disrupted trade, has impacted the energy industry as well, the report said.

The sector was affected by temporary disruptions in the supply of equipment, components, raw materials and by demand-side impacts. However, renewable energy as a whole has fared better than fossil fuels.

“Although the pace of new renewables installations has been slower in 2020 than predicted in pre-Covid forecasts, construction of many large-scale utility projects is proceeding, though with some delays,” the report said.

“Jobs appear less affected in the operation of utility-scale wind and solar plants than in solar rooftop installation and off-grid solutions, where social distancing requirements and constrained household budgets have a significant impact.”

Solar energy is expected to take up 6 per cent share of global electricity generation by 2029 from 2.7 per cent at the end of 2019. EPA
Solar energy is expected to take up 6 per cent share of global electricity generation by 2029 from 2.7 per cent at the end of 2019. EPA

Renewables jobs have also been more inclusive and offered a better gender balance than fossil fuel industries. The report showed that women held 32 per cent of total renewables jobs in 2019, as opposed to 21 per cent in fossil fuel sectors.

On average, the spending of $1 million on renewables created 7.49 full-time equivalent jobs, almost triple the 2.65 full-time equivalent jobs in fossil fuels.

The report also urged policymakers to prioritise reskilling for fossil fuel sector workers who have lost or are at risk of losing their livelihoods.

An analysis published by Environmental Entrepreneurs, the American Council on Renewable Energy, E4TheFuture, and BW Research Partnership in May this year showed that more than 400,000 clean energy jobs were lost as a result of the pandemic.

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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How to turn your property into a holiday home
  1. Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
  2. Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
  3. Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
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Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.

 
Who has been sanctioned?

Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.

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The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. 
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com

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Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

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