This is according to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation.
IRENA recently published Renewable energy and jobs: Annual Review 2024 which examines the socio-economic impacts of transitioning to renewable energy, including:
The report indicates that DRE technologies are more relevant than ever, especially in peri-urban and rural areas.
“Some studies project that DRE will help bring electricity to 55% of the world’s unelectrified population, supporting not only sustainable livelihoods but also overall employment. Although data on DRE jobs remain limited, certain technologies, such as off-grid solar PV, show particular promise.
“In 2023, an estimated 307,000 people were directly employed in DRE across India, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Ethiopia,” IRENA said in their jobs report.
The report states that accelerating the adoption of decentralised solar PV and other off-grid solutions necessitates significant investment as well as the creation of a well-trained, inclusive and diverse workforce.
It notes that women could play a pivotal role in the scale-up of off-grid technologies.
“The expansion of these technologies presents a significant opportunity to generate jobs that help women earn much-needed income to support their families, as well as contributing to wider development goals such as poverty reduction, improved access to education, and improved health services.
“Further, involving women in the local workforce for solar and other DRE projects has additional safety benefits for rural communities, compared with large-scale projects that often bring in male migrants or temporary workers, potentially posing challenges for remote areas.”
According to IRENA, women continue to hold an unequal but continuously increasing number of jobs in renewable energy.
“IRENA’s solar PV gender survey reveals that women constitute 38% of the workforce across all roles in Africa’s solar PV industry. This regional average is consistent with national data from select countries: decentralised solar PV employs 41% women in Kenya, 37% in Ethiopia, 35% in Nigeria, and 28% in Uganda. IRENA’s survey estimates women’s participation across the entire solar PV sector (decentralised and utility scale) at 40%,” the report said.
Amongst the barriers highlighted to women’s employment in off-grid solar PV include societal constraints and educational and workplace barriers.
“Women working in off-grid solar PV often face discrimination and biases from employers and customers. Safety concerns further limit their mobility and job opportunities.
“IRENA’s analysis also highlights how women entrepreneurs in off-grid solar PV suffer limited access to finance, land rights, and modern energy, in addition to having to balance childcare and family obligations.
Touching on the just energy transition, the report indicates that achieving a just energy transition and unlocking the job-creation potential of renewable energy relies on several factors.
“A crucial requirement is to address skill shortages, ensuring that both current workers and future entrants to the labour market possess the necessary skills. Investing in skills is essential for translating into reality the commitments made by countries, through their nationally determined contributions, to achieve the core objective of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Read the full Renewable energy and jobs: Annual Review 2024 report
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