Energy from the sun and wind creates more jobs
“We can’t close down the coal industry, or jobs will be lost. In fact, we need more coal.”
This myth has been promoted for years by politicians including our Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, the coal industry, and is repeated by concerned citizens.
This misinformation is repeated again and again, particularly in support of the new dash for oil and gas in South Africa and many other African countries. Such myths are gaining momentum as pressure mounts on countries to transition away from fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy − a transition that is accelerating in South Africa, although not fast enough.
Three times as many jobs
The consensus from energy experts is that renewable energy creates far more jobs than coal, oil and gas – almost three times as many, one study finds. And climate change is now destroying livelihoods far faster than the fossil fuel industry can create them.
An extensive study called the Cobenefits Policy Report, which describes how South Africa’s people and economy can benefit from meeting the Paris Agreement climate targets, finds that on the lowest-cost pathway for providing energy to all South Africans, wind and solar power could create:
130,000 new jobs by 2050, significantly more than the 100,000 currently employed in the coal industry
500,000 new jobs in renewable-related industries, and
Up to 1.6 million new jobs across the economy.
Energy experts also agree that jobs in renewable energy are more dignified and less hazardous for workers’ health than those in the coal industry. In a study by the Centre for Sustainability Transitions, coal workers interviewed said they did not regard their jobs as decent work, and 80% of them did not want their children to have the same jobs due to the dangers.
How coal, oil and gas destroy jobs
Globally, clean energy creates more jobs than fossil fuels because it is a more labour-intensive industry. In one example, Uruguay made a near-100% shift to renewable energy in less than a decade, creating 50,000 new jobs – for 3% of its workforce.
All of this means that investing in renewable energy is not just better for the planet; it’s better for job creation, too.
Further, the evidence is that coal, oil and gas are already destroying jobs, such that every current job in the fossil fuel sector will kill four jobs by 2030.
The International Labour Organization found that in 2024, total employment in the fossil fuel sector was 33 million − only one-quarter of the 136 million jobs the sector will destroy in just five years, which amount to 3.8% of total working hours worldwide.
Still feeling sceptical or curious to find out more? Visit the jobs page of our Climate Hope web page.
