Renewable energy development not only changes the mix of energy sources powering the world’s economies, but also creates jobs, builds economic value and enhances human wellbeing. The IRENA Renewable energy and jobs series quantifies current employment in the sector, examining different renewable energy technologies worldwide and in selected individual countries. The analysis considers a variety of public and private sector policy contexts, including those related to deployment, industrial policy, skill building, labour market measures and others. While available qualitative information about renewable energy jobs, such as education, skill requirements or workforce attributes, remains limited, the series asserts that decent jobs are a must for the energy transition.

This is the tenth edition of the series, and the third produced in collaboration with the International Labour Organization. Following an initial standalone report in 2013, IRENA launched this series to provide regular updates to its assessment of renewable energy employment worldwide. Each edition discusses the latest available data and highlights specific aspects, such as employment in the energy access context, the gender equity dimension or the requirements of a just transition.