Green energy to create 20 m jobs by 2030: UN

An undated file photo shows wind power generators. Development of alternative energy should create more than 20 million jobs around the world in coming decades as governments adopt policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a UN report released Wednesday.

Development of alternative energy should create more than 20 million jobs around the world in coming decades as governments adopt policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a UN report released Wednesday.

Some 2.3 million people already work in green energy jobs with half of them in biofuels, said the report "Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World," commissioned and funded by the UN's Environment Program.

Creation of the jobs will depend on countries implementing and broadening policies, including capping emissions of greenhouse gases and shifting of subsidies from old energy forms to new ones, in the effort to slow global warming, it said.

The report was written before the US credit crisis reshaped Wall Street and reverberated around the world, which could slow many sectors, including alternative energy.

It said some 12 million new jobs could be created by 2030 in biofuels-related agriculture and industry.

Biofuel critics say current US ethanol, which is mostly made from corn, does little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But companies are racing to make cleaner, next-generation ethanol from sources including crop waste and rapidly growing non-food crops like and poplar trees.

The report said many jobs in the biofuels industry are unfair to workers. "Much of the employment on sugarcane and palm oil plantations in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Malaysia and Indonesia is marked by poor pay and dangerous working conditions," it said.

"There is also concern that large-scale biofuels production might drive large numbers of people off their land in future years," it said.

Manufacturing, installing, and maintaining solar panels should add 6.3 million jobs by 2030 while wind power should add more than 2 million jobs. Even more jobs could be created in the building, recycling, clean vehicle manufacturing sectors, the report said.

本周三發布的一份聯合國報告稱，隨著各國政府推行減少溫室氣體排放的政策，可替代能源技術的發展在未來幾十年內將為世界各地創造2000多萬個就業機會。

該報告題為：綠色工作：向低碳、可持續世界的美好職業進軍。報告中說，目前全世界已有約230萬人從事與綠色能源有關的工作，其中有一半的人在生物能源領域。該報告是受聯合國環境規劃署的委托和資助編撰的。

報告稱，未來新職業的創造主要取決于各國如何有效地實施以及擴展應對全球變暖的各項政策，其中包括減少溫室氣體排放以及把對傳統能源領域的補貼用于開發新能源等。

該報告編撰于美國華爾街信貸危機爆發前，這場危機的影響波及全球，而且還可能會減慢包括可替代能源在內的很多領域的發展。

報告稱，到2030年，與生物能源有關的農業和其它行業預計將新增約1200萬個就業機會。

生物能源批評人士指出，目前美國以玉米為原料生產出來的乙醇并沒有對溫室氣體減排做出多大貢獻。不過現在有很多生產商正試圖用作物廢料和生長速度很快的軟莖黍、楊樹等非食用作物來制造更為清潔的新一代乙醇燃料。

該報告還指出，生物能源領域產生的很多就業機會并沒有給工人很好的保障。“比如，在巴西、哥倫比亞、馬來西亞和印度尼西亞等國家的甘蔗和棕櫚油種植園，那里的工人不僅工資低，而且工作環境也很危險。”

報告稱，“也有一種擔憂認為，未來生物燃料的大規模生產可能會讓很多人失去家園。”

到2030年，太陽能板的制造、安裝和維修領域預計能增加630萬崗位，風能領域則能新增200萬個崗位。此外，建筑、再利用和清潔交通工具制造領域也能創造一些新的就業機會。