Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of £18.8 billion, covering nearly 75% of the UK's current balance of trade defi cit
(Mainstream
2012
).
The studies looked at above have focused on the UK and the EU, but similar
studies have also been carried out in the USA, with a 2010 meta-study drawing
together the results. It concluded that, in net job terms, 'all renewable energy and
low carbon sources generate more jobs than the fossil fuel sector per unit of energy
delivered, while the type of employment differs between technologies' (Wei et al.
2010
).
7
Better Jobs?
As we have seen, it seems credible that investment in renewable energy supply will
create a net gain in employment in the EU, with the number depending on the scale
of the programme. No doubt this pattern would apply to other areas. Certainly there
is a boom in renewables around the world and that is creating many jobs. A 2008
UNEP review gave the following data for renewable energy jobs: China 943,000
(2007), USA 446,000 (2006), Germany 259,000 (2006), Spain 89,000 (2007) and
globally 2.3 million (see Table
5.3
). It suggested that the total could be over 8 mil-
lion by 2020 and that may well prove to be a major underestimate (UNEP
2008
). A
more recent IRENA study (IRENA
2014
) put the global total for 2013 at 6.5 mil-
lion, led by China at 2.6 million, followed by the EU at 1.2 million, Brazil at 0.9
million and the USA at 0.6 million. Clearly expansion is well underway around the
world. See Box
5.1
for UK data.
Crucially, however, the type of work can vary. For example, PV solar cell pro-
duction has boomed in Germany, but much of this has occurred in the poor east of
the country where wage levels are often low and trade union rights sometimes
absent. More recently there has been a boom in PV cells manufacture and export in
China, where wages are likely to be even lower and working conditions possibly
worse, although improving (ILO
2012
). There has also been a boom in biofuel pro-
duction for vehicles, with major plantations in developing countries like Malaysia,
where working conditions may be very poor and environmental impacts signifi cant,
opening up a 'food versus fuel' and development policy debate (Oxfam
2007
).
Even in the industrialised countries, there are issues related to safety and work-
ing conditions. Most renewables-related work is relatively risk free, and mostly
compares well with that in other areas of energy supply (IRENA
2012b
). However,
care has to be taken working at heights and with the toxic materials sometimes used
in making PV cells. Some of the new work will be in factories, but much of it will
involve on-site installation and maintenance, often in harsh environments, including
offshore. On the smaller scale, there will be jobs fi tting systems to houses and
offi ces, with regular maintenance: the classic small company with a white van.
Some of this work may be outsourced to individual operators, and much of it may
be nonunion, a common trend for casual/contract work of this type in many indus-
trial countries.
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