Job growth in clean energy to outpace losses in fossil fuels

As the number of jobs in the fossil fuel sector decline, rapid growth in Canada’s clean energy sector will more than make up the difference. That is the conclusion of a new report, The New Reality, from Clean Energy Canada and Navius Research, which forecasts changes in jobs, GDP and investment in Canadian energy between 2020 and 2030.

The clean energy sector already employs 430,500 people, and by 2030 that number is expected to grow by almost 50% to 639,200. At the same time, the number of employees in the fossil fuel sector will decline by 9%. The numbers point toward 208,700 new  lean energy jobs compared to a loss of 125,800 fossil fuel jobs.

According to the report, the greatest growth in clean energy jobs will occur in Canada’s biggest oil producing regions. Alberta, for example, will see an increase of 71,700 clean energy jobs by 2030, and increase of 164% and the greatest jump of any province. Saskatchewan will see clean energy jobs double.

Other highlights from the report:

• Overall, the clean energy sector GDP will grow 58% by 2030.
• By 2030 clean energy will make up 29% of our total energy GDP, up from 22% in 2020.
• Canada’s new climate plan announced in December 2020 is expected to create 85,000 more clean energy jobs in 2030 than would have existed under the old plan.
• The fastest growing clean energy industry will be electric vehicle technology where jobs will grow to 184,000 in 2030, a six-fold increase over 2020.
• The next industry outperformer is hydrogen consumption technology which will employ 21,900 workers by 2030.

The New Reality report concludes that oil and gas may have dominated Canada’s energy past, but it will be the clean energy sector that will play a decisive part in our energy future.

Read the details about Canada’s energy future in The New Reality.