The COVID-19 pandemic hit global economies hard. Still, the global market for green jobs looks promising, especially for young people.
Over 200 million students are currently enrolled in higher education worldwide.
About 71 million unemployed youth are looking for a job today.
The transition to a green economy will add about 60 million new jobs worldwide to the market by 2030.
Green jobs have been defined as jobs that contribute to, preserve, or restore the environment, regardless of sector.
The renewable energy sector employed 11.5 million people in 2019.
With increased investment, jobs in renewables could reach 42 million by 2050.
That does not include another 21.3 million jobs in energy efficiency and 14.5 million jobs related to power grids.
Women currently represent only 32% of the renewable energy workforce, with 45% in administrative roles, 35% in non-STEM technical roles, and only 28% in STEM positions.
Source: UN Environment Programme
Information in this article was derived from the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global Guidance for Education on Green Jobs 2021: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pOr3C1a4hcBMzvfLIeJV-JEyA7xULgeY/view