G8 could create one million renewable jobs through clean energy

One million more jobs would be created in renewables in G8 countries by 2020 if the leaders of the world’s wealthiest countries, gathering in L’Aquila, agreed to switch from coal and other climate-destroying conventional energy sources to renewables in order to help slash carbon emissions and avert a climate catastrophe, says a Greenpeace report.

By committing to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent by 2020 (based on 1990 levels) the leaders of the world’s eight wealthiest industrialised countries could spark an energy revolution and help secure a strong UN climate treaty in Copenhagen in December.

The calculations, made by Greenpeace and the Australian-based Institute for Sustainable Futures, specialists in forecasting and modeling, reveal that the move will provide one million jobs in renewables alone, 460,000 more jobs in the energy sector than would be available if they stay on the carbon-intensive path. This would cut power-related C02 emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

“The quickest way to get people back to work is to kick-start sustainable economic growth. For this, G8 leaders must tackle the twin crises of global economic recession and climate change head on and together. Continuing prosperity depends on preserving the environment and tackling climate change. It is not a choice of green jobs or dirty jobs, but green jobs or ecological and social collapse,” said Tobias Muenchmeyer of Greenpeace’s Political Unit.

The estimate looks at the power industry and economic stimulus created by a G8 commitment to see emissions peak in 2015 and fall by 40 per cent by 2020, below 1990 levels, and by at least 80 per cent by 2050.