Employment in renewable energies reached a new historical high of 16.6 million jobs worldwide in 2024. However, the growth was just 2.3% compared to 2023, marking the first major slowdown after years of explosive expansion.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) noted that geopolitical tensions, automation, and changes in supply chains are impacting the workforce, even though clean energy installations continue to break records.
In contrast, 2023 recorded the highest historical growth: from 13.7 million in 2022 to 16.2 million, an annual increase of 18%.
China, absolute leader in green employment
China consolidates its dominance as the main labor driver of clean energies:
- 7.3 million jobs in 2024, 44% of the global total.
- Its leadership is explained by integrated and large-scale supply chains, allowing for the manufacture of equipment at unbeatable prices.
- The European Union maintained its figure of 1.8 million jobs.
- Brazil reached 1.4 million.
- India and the United States barely grew, with 1.3 million and 1.1 million, respectively.
Distribution by technologies
The IRENA and ILO report details employment according to each energy source:
- Solar photovoltaic: 7.3 million jobs (absolute leader).
- Liquid biofuels: 2.6 million, with 46.5% generated in Asia.
- Hydroelectricity: 2.3 million.
- Wind: 1.9 million.
Institutional voices
- Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA: “The deployment of renewable energies is booming, but the human aspect is as important as the technological. Governments must place people at the center of their energy and climate goals.”
- Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the ILO: “A just transition towards a future based on renewable energies must be grounded in inclusion, dignity, and equal opportunities.”
The strategic importance of China
China’s role in renewable energies is multifaceted and strategic:
- Energy security: reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels.
- Technological leadership: dominates the manufacturing of solar panels and wind turbines.
- Economic engine: boosts GDP, creates millions of jobs, and generates resilience.
- Decarbonization and health: improves air quality and reduces diseases linked to pollution.
- Electrical transformation: modernizes the grid with UHV lines and storage, better integrating intermittent renewable energy.
Global impact and challenges
China sets the pace for the global energy transition, doubling the wind and solar construction capacity of the rest of the world combined. However, it faces challenges:
- Management of the electrical grid.
- Recycling of clean technologies.
- Environmental sustainability.
- Social equity in the transition.
The country seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, supported by policies and legislation aimed at a cleaner and more flexible energy system.
The record employment in renewable energies in 2024 reflects the strength of the sector, but also its limits in the face of global tensions and technological transformations. China consolidates itself as the undisputed leader, while the rest of the world advances more slowly. The challenge will be to ensure that the energy transition is just, inclusive, and sustainable, placing people at the center of the transformation.
