Page 6 - AfrElec Week 08 2022

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

Wind power could provide

2.2mn jobs in developing world

as part of green recovery

GLOBAL WIND power has the potential to unlock largely presidency.
untapped socioeconomic and environmental “Governments need to use forums such as the
opportunities in the developing world over the G20 to turn promises, targets and ambitions into
next four years and could provide up to 2.2mn decisive interventions that provide the founda-
energy jobs in fast-growing economies. tions for local communities and the private sec-
By prioritising investment in renewables tor to make the energy transition a reality,” said
and boosting a green economy recovery from GWEC CEO Ben Backwell.
the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, “The transition to clean energy is a key pri-
countries such as India, the Philippines and ority for Indonesia’s G20 presidency this year,
South Africa could stimulate rapid economic and this report shows the scale of opportunities
growth, the Global Wind Energy Council at stake: a transformed world delivering jobs for
(GWEC) said in a report. people, value for economies and zero emissions,
Up to 20 GW of additional onshore and off- helping us all reach net zero.”
shore wind capacity could be built in the five
countries, which could save up to 714mn tonnes Country by country
of CO2 emissions over the lifetimes of the wind The report found that current wind capacity
farms. forecasts for 2022-2026 in the five countries
amount to 42.3GW. By pursuing amore aggres-
Clear policies sive green recovery, the five have the potential to
The GWEC said in its report, called Captur- install 61.2GW, almost 50% more than currently
ing Green Recovery Opportunities from Wind forecast.
Power in Developing Economies, that clear The report finds that the total upside for
policy commitments were needed to mobilise green recovery measures across the five coun-
private investment in wind energy in the devel- tries examined include 2.23 million full-time
oping world. equivalent jobs over a 25-year lifetime of wind
The report focuses on five countries – Bra- projects, and nearly 20GW of additional wind
zil, India, Mexico, the Philippines and South power installations. This is enough to power
Africa – each of which face particular challenges roughly 25 million homes each year from 2026
due to COVID-19, but which have significant onward, and potentially save the equivalent of
untapped wind energy resources that could 714mn tonnes of CO2 emissions over wind farm
unlock rapid economic growth under green lifetimes.
recovery measures. Brazil, for example, could create an extra
The report attempts to define the impact of 575,000 jobs over wind farm lifetimes if it opted
pursuing a green recovery strategy, where public for a green recovery over a business as usual
policy shifts towards the clean energy transition approach.
to accelerate deployment of wind projects over The country could add billions of gross value
the next five years. to the economy and power millions more homes
The report finds that a green recovery has the with clean energy using this approach – all while
potential to help the countries meet their energy seeing a more than 40% reduction in carbon
and climate goals and would enable them to emissions over that time.
realise a range of socioeconomic benefits from India could save an extra 229mn tonnes of
long-term job creation to cleaner air and water CO2e over the lifetime of a wind farm – around
conservation. 25 years – while also creating more than a mil-
As report comes as G20 finance ministers and lion green jobs.
central bank governors meet in Jakarta to dis- Mexico could more than double its projected
cuss sustainable finance under Indonesia’s G20 carbon emissions equivalent saved by replacing

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 08 24•February•2022