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.

本周三发布的一份联合国报告称，随着各国政府推行减少温室气体排放的政策，可替代能源技术的发展在未来几十年内将为世界各地创造2000多万个就业机会。

该报告题为：绿色工作：向低碳、可持续世界的美好职业进军。报告中说，目前全世界已有约230万人从事与绿色能源有关的工作，其中有一半的人在生物能源领域。该报告是受联合国环境规划署的委托和资助编撰的。

报告称，未来新职业的创造主要取决于各国如何有效地实施以及扩展应对全球变暖的各项政策，其中包括减少温室气体排放以及把对传统能源领域的补贴用于开发新能源等。

该报告编撰于美国华尔街信贷危机爆发前，这场危机的影响波及全球，而且还可能会减慢包括可替代能源在内的很多领域的发展。

报告称，到2030年，与生物能源有关的农业和其它行业预计将新增约1200万个就业机会。

生物能源批评人士指出，目前美国以玉米为原料生产出来的乙醇并没有对温室气体减排做出多大贡献。不过现在有很多生产商正试图用作物废料和生长速度很快的软茎黍、杨树等非食用作物来制造更为清洁的新一代乙醇燃料。

该报告还指出，生物能源领域产生的很多就业机会并没有给工人很好的保障。“比如，在巴西、哥伦比亚、马来西亚和印度尼西亚等国家的甘蔗和棕榈油种植园，那里的工人不仅工资低，而且工作环境也很危险。”

报告称，“也有一种担忧认为，未来生物燃料的大规模生产可能会让很多人失去家园。”

到2030年，太阳能板的制造、安装和维修领域预计能增加630万岗位，风能领域则能新增200万个岗位。此外，建筑、再利用和清洁交通工具制造领域也能创造一些新的就业机会。