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The renewable energy sector employed 11.5 million people, directly and indirectly, in 2019. Renewable energy employment has continued to grow worldwide since 2012, when the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) began to assess it on an annual basis. The solar photovoltaic (PV), bioenergy, hydropower and wind power industries have been the biggest employers. The bulk of global jobs relate to modern energy use, but the 2019 estimate includes jobs tied to the use of decentralised solar PV to expand energy access in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and in South Asia. The majority of these jobs are still held by men. The share of women in the renewable energy workforce is about 32 per cent, compared to 22 per cent in the energy sector overall (IRENA, 2019a).

Key findings include: (1) Most jobs have been created in a small number of countries, but employment benefits are showing up more widely, especially through the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Asia accounted for 63 per cent of total jobs in renewables globally; (2) The solar PV industry retains the top spot, with 33 per cent of the total renewable energy workforce. In 2019, 91 per cent of global PV employment was concentrated in the ten countries that lead in worldwide deployment and in the production of equipment; (3) Driven by output growth of 2 per cent for ethanol and 13 per cent for biodiesel, biofuels jobs worldwide expanded to 2.5 million. Production expanded robustly in Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, all of which have labour-intensive supply chains, whereas output in the United States and the European Union fell; (4) Employment in wind power supports 1.2 million jobs, 21 per cent of which are held by women. Onshore projects continue to predominate, but the number of countries with offshore farms now stands at 18, up from 10 a decade ago. Supply chains are expanding; (5) Hydropower has the largest installed capacity of all renewables, but its growth is slowing. The sector employs close to 2 million people directly, many in operations and maintenance; (6) Building the skills base necessary to support the ongoing global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables requires more vocational training, stronger curricula, more teacher training and expanded use of information and communications technology for remote learning; and (7) The [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of strong policy frameworks for renewables to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives.

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This document comprises a report in Arabic and executive summaries in English and French. The goal of the program is to enhance different learning and training opportunities for marginalised youth, especially those not going to schools or training centres, such as youth groups living in the post war arena or countries suffering from rapid social, economic and political change. The countries selected were Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza and West Bank. Topics covered include national needs and assessment and identification of fields and programs needed to ensure that marginalised people have access to work experience and professional career help. Various national projects were discussed and plans of action were determined, including the costs of training programs. Recommendations are listed, including the formulation of a Steering Committee to supervise and follow-up the planned activities. Show less

The renewable energy sector employed 9.8 million people, directly and indirectly, in 2016 - a 1.1 per cent increase over 2015. Jobs in renewables, excluding large hydropower, increased by 2.8 per cent to reach 8.3 million in 2016. Renewable energy employment worldwide has continued to grow since IRENA's first annual assessment in 2012, but the last two years have seen a more moderate rate of growth. The most consistent increase has come from jobs in the solar PV and wind categories, together more than doubling since 2012. In contrast, employment in solar heating and cooling and large hydropower has declined.

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