Global Wind Employment Passes 1 Million

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Global wind employment grew by 5% during 2015 to reach 1.1 million, according to new figures published by the Global Wind Energy Council.

New figures published by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) this week reveal that the record growth of the wind industry’s installed capacity was reflected by growth in the industry’s employment figures, which increased 5% during 2015, reaching a total of 1.1 million people employed. With the global wind energy industry installing over 63 GW of capacity in 2015, it should come as no surprise that the industry is seeing a matching growth in employment.

wind turbine cowboy jobsGWEC made the announcement to coincide with Global Wind Day on June 15th, a worldwide event intended to highlight the value and growth of the wind industry.

“We are getting bigger, better and cheaper,” said Steve Sawyer, GWEC Secretary General. “The wind industry has witnessed record growth in recent years which not only helps the world to meet the climate goals agreed in Paris but also generates much needed new jobs and boosts local economies, to the tune of about US$ 110 billion last year.”

According to the Council, the strong employment growth was due primarily to strong installation rates in China, the US, and Germany, the world’s three leading wind energy installers. According to the Council’s Global Wind Report, published earlier this year, China installed 30.8 GW of new wind capacity during 2015, bringing its cumulative capacity up to 145 GW. The United States installed 8.6 GW, while Germany installed 6 GW for the year.

The Global Wind Energy Council also highlighted the continued interest in investing in the global wind energy industry, specifically by corporations, with companies such as Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and others, all making clean energy procurement a standard practice for their investment interests.

“We are thrilled to see the rapidly growing number of companies opting to source their power from wind,” Sawyer added. “These globally leading companies show that wind makes economic sense, as well as protecting the environment, and it’s what their customers want to see. While government action is needed, the real change happens when investors make economic decisions which lead us in the right direction.”

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Joshua S Hill

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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