2.2 Unclear pathways for skills and occupations required to deliver a clean energy transition

Similar to the International Renewable Energy Agency’s projections (IRENA, 2020), the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2019) estimates that the clean energy transformation will create 25 million jobs globally and 7 million job losses. Of the job losses, it is thought that five million people will find similar jobs in other industries; however, 1 to 2 million will need to retrain into other occupations. Aside from transferring jobs, 20 million new jobs are projected, with large investments required to train workers in the skills needed.

These projections demonstrate that substantial shifts in the energy workforce will be required. Specifically, these ‘green jobs’ are thought to require both technical (occupationspecific) skills and more general skills such as knowledge of sustainable development. Furthermore, our rapid review found that willingness and ability to engage across teams and disciplines are needed, as well as entrepreneurial, marketing and consulting skills.

Fien and Guevara (2013) suggest that it may be more helpful to think in terms of ‘green skills’ for jobs and offer a classification that goes beyond ‘green jobs’. They identify new skills associated with the following employment situations: • Existing jobs requiring additional skill sets related to ethics, sustainability or environmental awareness; • New jobs being created within existing industries, for example energy efficient building and construction or renewable power generation, which may require additional or different technical skills; • New and expanded industries using existing technical skills along with ethical understanding and new technical skills, for example the renewable energy industry; and • New and expanded industries using new occupations, though these are still being developed.

While it is becoming increasingly clear that the energy transition will necessitate a shift in skills, there is currently limited insight into what exact skills and skilled professionals are needed, where they can be trained, and what the barriers are for developing the skills and professions required. The rich literature on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) offers some insights into the non-technical skills required (UNESCO, 2017; Brundiers et al., 2021).