How Decarbonization Is Creating Jobs Across the World
- ayshasathar101
- Aug 28
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 29
The IEA (International Energy Agency) ran an interesting article on how large-scale decarbonisation will fuel new employment opportunities and stated that more than 30 million jobs could be created in clean energy, efficiency and low-emissions technologies by 2030.
As the world is constantly moving towards a clean energy and net zero ambition, this shift is reshaping the global workforce demand for green talent and disruptive knowledge soars while traditional industries look to reskill, upskill and new skill.
According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Energy Technology Perspectives 2023 report, new and expanding industries are driving future employment opportunities.
It states that if countries worldwide fully implement their announced energy and climate pledges, related clean energy manufacturing jobs could more than double from six million today to nearly 14 million by 2030, with over 50% of jobs linked to electric vehicles, solar PV, wind and heat pumps.
Solar PV currently leads the way with 4.3 million jobs recorded in 2021, followed by hydropower and biofuels tied at 2.4 million apiece, and 1.3 million in wind power.
In oil and gas, the green talent concentration has steadily increased since 2016, reaching 21 per cent in 2023.
Another emerging sector is automotive where the share of auto workers with EV skills rose by 61% for the period 2018 to 2023.
New energy sources like bioenergy, end-use renewables, and supply chain resources like innovative technologies and critical minerals combine for 3.3 million jobs.
Renewable energy is considered a resilient and “reliable job creation engine”, according to Francesco La Camera, Director-General, IRENA, who suggests that developing the domestic renewable energy value chain needs to be a government priority. Since this has the potential to bolster supply chain reliability and support overall energy security goals, as well as create new business opportunities and jobs.
Renewable Energy and Jobs:
Annual Review 2022, the UAE-headquartered International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported a worldwide renewable energy industry employment figure of 12.7 million in 2021, logging an additional 700,000 new jobs on the previous year.
Lets understand India's Green economy growth.
INDIA
India’s green economy is growing rapidly and is expected to reach a value of $1 trillion by 2030, and a staggering $15 trillion by 2070, With this massive growth, India is also set to create a huge number of green jobs ,around 7.29 million by the financial year 2027-28 and 35 million by the year 2047.
according to a NLB Services report.
In 2024, the green sector was expected to grow at a pace of 15–20% annually in terms of job demand. However, new estimates show an even faster increase, especially in fields like renewable energy, electric vehicles, green construction, waste management, and sustainable textiles.
Green job roles are also becoming more diverse. Demand for professionals in areas such as ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) analytics, climate data analysis, and green technology is growing fast, with a projected 20–30% yearly rise.
Specific in-demand roles include sustainability manager, energy specialist, sustainability analyst, solar consultant, and environmental health and safety specialist, and the hiring list is growing year on year with employers also open to taking on candidates with similar or adjacent skill sets for certain roles.
Most green jobs are still based in big cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi. But smaller cities such as Jaipur, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, and Ahmedabad are also becoming key green job hubs.
Tier II and Tier III cities are expected to create 35-40 per cent of the projected 7.29 million jobs by FY28, helped by the growth in sustainable agriculture, logistics, and warehousing, as per the reports.
Currently, women account for just 11-12% of green jobs in India, primarily owing to unequal access to technical education, cultural constraints, and workplace safety challenges.
Growth in job creation across countries:
In the UAE alone, 50,000 new green jobs will be created by 2030 under the country’s updated energy strategy with thousands of jobs in the emerging hydrogen sector by 2050, according to UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei.
A 2020 UK government report, The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, pegged the hydrogen sector as a key channel for job creation, with potential to support up to 10,000 jobs in the UK by 2030, and up to 100,000 by 2050.
The pool of green talent must at a minimum, double by 2050 to keep apace with projected demand. In the UK, the hiring rate for green talent is 72% higher than the overall hiring rate, with energy auditor, environmental engineer and solar technician the fastest-growing green titles in the past year.
according to LinkedIn data scientists.
Also, Demand for workers with green skills in the UK grew by 46% last year , as revealed by LinkedIn's 2024 Green Skills Report .
In the US, where demand for green talent grew 9.8% between 2023 and 2024 (while supply increased by 3.1%), the hiring rate for green talent is 80.3% greater than the hiring rate for talent overall. Global demand for green talent grew twice as quickly as supply between 2023 and 2024, with demand increasing by 11.6% and supply by 5.6%
Global demand for green skills is rising, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading in green talent growth in the GCC, LinkedIn's 2024 Green Skills Report reveals.
NOTE THIS! The fastest-growing green skill is Sustainable Procurement, which 15% more people added to their LinkedIn profiles in 2024 than 2023, according to Global Green Skills Report 2024
So make sure to keep yourself skilled and updated anytime now!
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Writer's Information
Researcher and Writer: Aysha Abdul Sathar
Hey, I'm Aysha and I'm working as a Sustainability Research Intern, and is pursuing my Bachelor's in Economics. I'm also exploring sustainability and the practices and learning just like you guys, cheers to us!!
Reviewer: Pratiksha More
Meet Pratiksha, she is a dedicated sustainability consultant with 5+ years of expertise in ESG reporting, GHG accounting, and decarbonization strategies. She has worked with organizations like Deloitte, Oren, Knite Freight, Bureau Veritas, and Sustainext helping businesses develop ESG strategies and improve sustainability reporting.
Basically she wears all the hats in the organisation to make each event successful!
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