Coalition calls for COP26 to step up energy transition job creation

Read the call to action

Mainstream has joined more than 130 leading players in the renewable energy sector to call for COP26 energy transition roadmaps to include the delivery of high-quality, sustainable jobs.

The International Renewable Energy Agency Coalition for Action marked the start of the climate action conference in Glasgow by urging governments to form long-term partnerships with industry, labour unions and communities, and ensure that “nobody is left behind” in the drive to decarbonise the energy sector.

A new IRENA report shows that the renewable energy sector offered employment to 12 million people in 2020 – a steady increase since 2012 at 7.3 million. Renewable energy jobs were also found to be more inclusive, with women accounting for 32 per cent of those employed in the sector, compared to 22 per cent in the fossil fuels sector.

Identifying COP26 as an opportunity to increase momentum behind the global energy transition, members of Coalition for Action have set out five recommended actions for this that will generate widespread socio-economic benefits:

1. Comprehensive structural and just transition policies are critical to secure the benefits and manage labour market misalignments that result from the energy transition.
2. Concrete and resilient finance mechanisms are required for countries to equitably transition away from fossil fuels.
3. Job and enterprise creation in the renewable energy sector must be complemented with labour and socio-economic policies in the energy sector.
4. Long-term partnerships between industry, labour unions and governments are essential to ensure job security and social protection, especially in areas particularly impacted by the energy transition (e.g., coal mining regions).
5. Data-driven actions and solutions are needed to support targeted policies that encourage job creation, capacity building and reskilling to empower those disproportionately impacted, such as women, youth and minorities.

For a more detailed view of the IRENA Coalition for Action’s Call to Action for COP26, click the image at the top of this page.

• The IRENA Coalition for Action brings together leading renewable energy players from around the world with the common goal of advancing the uptake of renewable energy. The Coalition facilitates global dialogues between public and private sectors to develop actions to increase the share of renewables in the global energy mix and accelerate the global energy transition.