For the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), the energy transition is a real driver of economic development and job creation in France. Based on two studies conducted in Hauts-de-France and Occitanie, ADEME estimates that the transition to renewable energies could create up to 900,000 jobs by 2050! Focus on the impact of the energy transition on employment in France.
France: Energy Transition Rhymes with Green Growth
With the energy transition law of August 17, 2015, France is definitively committed to a new energy model. The country’s objective is to strengthen its energy independence by diversifying its supply sources, while minimizing the impact of global warming. This strategy also aims to reduce France’s energy bill (estimated at 70 billion euros!), but above all, to combat unemployment through green growth. The gamble is audacious, to say the least, but according to various studies on the subject, the strategy is viable. This involves, in particular, the use of new technologies, the conquest of new green energy markets, clean transport… All these levers are capable of creating up to 900,000 jobs in France by 2050, according to ADEME’s estimates. That said, the energy transition is already contributing to job creation: in France, 3.8 million people already work in green economy professions. Europe, more globally, has 1.1 million people working in the renewable energy sector. Furthermore, for the same investment, energy transition sectors employ more people than their fossil and fissile rivals: an investment of one million euros creates 14 jobs in renewable energies, compared to only 6 in coal or nuclear.
The Sectors That Recruit the Most
Naturally, some sectors are more concerned than others when it comes to employment in energy transition industries. The circular economy, energy renovation of buildings, and transport and mobility stand out as areas of excellence.
- Circular Economy
According to ONEMEV (National Observatory for Green Economy Jobs and Professions), the circular economy employs over one million people in France in activities such as rental, repair, reuse, or extending the lifespan of resources. However, the sector is expected to develop further within the framework of the energy transition, which will lead to a strong demand for skilled labor.
- Energy Renovation of Buildings
One of the objectives of the energy transition law is the renovation of 7.4 million F and G energy-rated homes by 2025. Indeed, the law mandates energy renovation work for major renovations. This sector, which already employs 150,000 craftspeople, could create 126,000 jobs in the renovation of “energy-inefficient buildings” by 2025.
- Clean Transport and Active Mobility
For France, the future of transport is necessarily electric. That said, the French State already encourages the use of electric transport as an alternative to fossil fuel-powered transport (through a bonus system for purchasing an electric vehicle). The energy transition law reinforces these provisions through a series of measures (commitment of public services to use electric vehicles, expansion of the charging station network…), which portends the creation of thousands of jobs in the electric mobility sector.
