Tracking Jobs in Projects Focused on Clean Energy and Productive Uses of Electricity

The transition to clean energy can create job opportunities and support economic activity while advancing the global decarbonization agenda. Many aspects of this transition - including investments in renewable energy; grid strengthening to absorb variable renewable power; decentralized generation, including for energy access; digitization of the energy sector; energy-efficient appliances; and energy efficiency in buildings, industry, and transport have significant potential to create both domestic and local employment. Expanded and improved energy services can not only create jobs in the energy sector, but also boost economic activity and job creation in the broader economy. The expansion of access to energy increases its productive uses. Meanwhile, the retirement of fossil-fuel fired plants and mine closures, among other changes in a clean energy transition, could also potentially lead to job losses. These losses must be accounted for and managed under the global decarbonization agenda. Before providing an overview of what we know of the energy transition’s employment impacts, this discussion paper will focus on job categories.

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