The global renewable energy sector could reach the mark of 29.5 million jobs in the world by 2030, with public policies for economic recovery and energy transition in the post-pandemic. The data are from the new international study by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) entitled “The post-covid recovery: an agenda for resilience, development and equality”, released in late June. For the Brazilian Association of Solar Photovoltaic Energy (ABSOLAR), renewable sources, especially solar photovoltaics, have shown strong resilience in the face of the current scenario and can leverage the economic recovery in the countries.

The IRENA report points out that investments in renewable energies in the economic stimulus and recovery programs may contribute to the generation of 29.5 million jobs by 2030. Of this total, the solar source would lead in new jobs, representing around 11, 6 million jobs, that is, more than 39% of the total.

The study also shows that the world could reach 100 million new workers in the energy sector by 2050, about 40 million more than today. This includes up to 42 million jobs in the renewables segment, today with 11 million total jobs. An accelerated energy transition could add 5.5 million more jobs by 2023 than the baseline scenario.

According to a survey by ABSOLAR, the Brazilian photovoltaic solar sector has already generated more than 165 thousand jobs since 2012, spread across all regions of the country. With 5.7 gigawatts (GW) of total operational power, adding centralized generation and small systems and medium-sized (distributed generation), the sector brought more than R $ 30 billion in new private investments to Brazil.

In the first five months of 2020, the sector created more than 37 thousand jobs in the country, despite the fall in economic activity resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. In May alone, 7,200 jobs were created, bringing R $ 1 billion in new investments and a collection of more than R $ 424.5 million to public coffers.

“Resilience, even in times of crisis, and the enormous potential for attracting investments, generating jobs and income, make the solar source a strategic tool for society in the post-pandemic period, helping to overcome the current challenging scenario that the world faces ”, comments ABSOLAR CEO Rodrigo Sauaia.

“The economic recovery strategy must include sustainable initiatives, as it is time to invest in a better future. Public policies and sound investment decisions can create a virtuous cycle of development and, thus, make possible systemic changes and positive energy transformations in Brazil and in the world ”, adds ABSOLAR's Chairman of the Board, Ronaldo Koloszuk (photo).