Millions Of Jobs Created From Clean Energy Ventures
Jobs created by clean energy ventures are increasing with 7.7 million people working in renewable energy industries in 2014, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). China, Brazil, India, Japan, France, Bangladesh, Columbia, United States and France are among the countries in the top employers of clean energy jobs.
The IRENA report, meanwhile, noted that solar PV installation have increased jobs, with countries in Europe, North America and Asia benefitting from the growth. In the United States, total solar employment rose by 22 percent from 142,700 to 173,800 in 2014.
The solar PV sector created about 2.2 million jobs. It created 1.8 million jobs in the biofuels segment, 822,000 jobs in biomass and 381,000 in biogas. Large hydropower accounted for 1.5 million jobs, mostly in China, while wind energy accounted for 1 million jobs.
“Renewable energy continues to assert itself as a major global employer generating strong economic and social benefits worldwide,” IRENA Director-General Adrian Amin said in a statement in Clean Technica. “This increase is being driven in part by declining renewable energy technology costs… we expect this upward trend to continue,” he added.
An earlier report by The Trust revealed that renewable technologies will be responsible for 60 percent of new electricity generated worldwide by 2030 that could translate to a $5 trillion opportunity. This will also contribute to the creation of more jobs. The new findings showed that developing countries are actually switching and making investments in clean energy technologies.
Since the solar industry led all renewable sectors as far as investments, employers are also providing jobs in this area. Investments in solar attracts $12 billion, or 43 percent of total clean energy, according to the latest PEW report. Other renewables also garnered significant investment. More than $2.2 billion was invested in the biofuels and geothermal sectors.
"Over the past decade, the clean energy industry has grown in scale and scope and is now operating in virtually every country worldwide. This report shows the geographic and technological diversity of national interests in renewables. Developing countries across the globe are exploring clean energy options to help support economic, environmental, and energy security objectives,” the PEW report noted.
Solar also is an easy, affordable way to reduce energy poverty, thus its popularity. Since there are more opportunities in the solar industry, exploration of titanium dioxide will also spur economic activity.
According to a separate research, titanium dioxide has photocatalytic properties, which are quite effective in solar panel applications. Newer players in the mining exploration industry can tap into this opportunity. White Mountain Titanium Corporation (OTCQB:WMTM) is one of them. The company owns the Cerro Blanco rutile project in the Atacama region of Santiago, Chile.
"In the coming years, renewable energy employment growth will depend on the return to a strong investment trajectory, as well as on continued technological development and cost reductions. Stable and predictable policies will be essential to support job creation," IRENA stated in its report.
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