UN: Millions of green jobs to be created by 2030

Alternative energy technologies will create millions of new jobs in the next two decades, including 11 million alone in biofuels, according to a UN report.

Climate change and the efforts to reduce it already have created new jobs and investment -- a process that will accelerate with the inevitable shift from fossil fuels to wind, solar, and geothermal power, said the UN Environment Program. Click here to see the agency's summation of findings.

Among the findings:

- Clean technologies are already the third largest sector for venture capital after information and biotechnology in the United States, while green venture capital in China more than doubled to 19 per cent of total investment in recent years.

- About 2.3 million people have in recent years found new jobs in the renewable energy sector alone, and the potential for job growth in the sector is huge. Employment in alternative energies may rise to 2.1 million in wind and 6.3 million in solar power by 2030.

- Renewable energy generates more jobs than employment in fossil fuels. Projected investments of $630 billion by 2030 would translate into at least 20 million additional jobs in the renewable energy sector.

- Investments in improved energy efficiency in buildings could generate an additional 2 million-3.5 million green jobs in Europe and the United States alone, with the potential much higher in developing countries.

The BBC quoted the agency's director, Achim Steiner, as saying a delay in transforming to a low-carbon economy it would "miss a major opportunity for the fast tracking of millions of new jobs.''

The study took place before the recent economic crisis, and there has been concern that the costs of a bailout of the financial sector will retard investment in sustainable industries.

Readers, what do you think of this study? Are you as optimistic as the UN authors of this report? Have your say in our Comments section.