Moving towards a net-zero emissions future revolves around energy, with the power sector playing a crucial role in this process of reducing carbon emissions. The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), saw India outline a five-fold strategy aimed at addressing climate change and fulfilling the goals of the Paris Agreement. As the country progresses towards these targets, concerted efforts are required to augment non-fossil-fuel-based installed capacity as well as energy efficiency (EE) measures. The power sector accounts for approximately 40% of carbon emissions and is considered the low-hanging fruit when it comes to reducing carbon footprints. Apart from a reduction in carbon footprints, this transition has ramifications when it comes to employment generation as well, both in terms of numbers and skilling needs.
Against this backdrop, this paper evaluates the regional effects of moving towards non-fossil fuel-based capacity at the state level. It specifically examines the creation of relevant clean energy employment and the corresponding need for skilling to achieve India’s targets of reducing emissions intensity by 2030. While prior literature on energy employment has focussed more on the actual estimates of employment generated, the present study answers the question of “geographically where” employment will be generated.
Estimates from the study indicate that 3.18 lakh persons were employed in the renewable energy (RE) and other clean conventional energy (OCC) sectors as of 2021-22. While the former includes sources such as solar, wind, small hydro, and biomass, the latter comprises nuclear, large hydro, and pumped energy storage (PSP). Taking into account government targets, the aforementioned number translates into a cumulative employment of 9.05 lakh as of 2029-30 (i.e., an addition of 5.86 lakh for the period of 2022-30). In a similar vein, the corresponding figure for EE-relevant employment was to the tune of 12.69 lakh in 2021-22, while the cumulative employment estimate stood at 42.87 lakh in 2030 (i.e., an addition of 30.17 lakh between 2022-30). In addition, the skill assessment revealed that low-skill employment is the predominant skill category in RE & OCC employment assessments, while medium-skill is dominant as far as EE-relevant employment is concerned.
