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The industry created more than 500 000 new jobs globally in 2017, with the total number of people employed in renewables (including large hydropower) surpassing 10 million for the first time.

Renewable Energy and Jobs - Annual Review 2018, presents the status of employment, both by technology and in selected countries, over the past year. Jobs in the sector (including large hydropower) increased 5.3% in 2017, for a total of 10.3 million people employed worldwide, according to this fifth edition in the series.

China, Brazil, the United States, India, Germany and Japan have remained the world’s biggest renewable energy employers, representing more than 70% of such jobs. While growing numbers of countries reap socio-economic benefits from renewables, the bulk of manufacturing still takes place in relatively few countries. Four-fifths of all renewable energy jobs in 2017 were in Asia, the report finds.

Among the various technologies based on renewables, the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry supports the most jobs. PV jobs increased almost 9% to reach 3.4 million around the world in 2017, reflecting the year’s record 94 gigawatts of PV installation.

This report, Green Jobs in Tunisia: Measuring Methods and Model Results, studies the case of Tunisia and seeks to quantitatively analyse the extent of decent green jobs that currently exist in the country as well as the potential implications of such scenarios for Tunisian labour markets.

The Green Economy Barometer 2018: South Africa, produced by South African thinktanks the African Centre and Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) and supported by the Green Economy Coalition (GEC), provides a snapshot of the transition to a fair, green economy. It is drawn from evidence of policy progress as well as the insights of civil society organisations who are tracking the transition on the ground.

The concept of a circular economy and practice therefore merits close attention, as it can open new opportunities for trade and job creation, contribute to climate change mitigation and help reduce the costs of cleaning and scrapping in both developed and developing countries.

The study, Circular Economy in India: Rethinking growth for long-term prosperity, focuses on three areas key to the Indian economy and society: cities and construction, food and agriculture, and mobility and vehicle manufacturing.