TL/DR –
The climate crisis is becoming a crisis of opportunity! The U.S. is seeing a job boom to deal with climate change, from tech that makes energy cleaner and more efficient to roles that help us bounce back from climate impacts. So whether you’re dreaming of making clean vehicles, coordinating emergency responses, or designing your city’s next green space, the climate job market is heating up!
Climate Change Jobs in the US – What’s Happening?
In the US, our fight against climate change has seen a surge in jobs aiming to reduce the impacts and adapt to a new normal. These climate-related jobs are growing steadily. In 2022, the clean energy job creation scene outpaced overall job growth, boasting more than 4.2 million climate jobs.
Energy Efficiency Jobs
Energy efficiency, a major component of climate action, offered 2.2 million jobs in 2022. This sector has seen growth in every job category since 2021, with California, Texas, New York, and Florida leading in job availability.
Energy Transmission, Distribution, and Storage Jobs
In 2022, jobs in clean energy storage and grid technology offered 146,811 positions, while electricity transmission and distribution provided over 703,000 jobs. Texas, California, and Illinois lead in grid-related employment.
Renewable Energy Jobs
Renewable energy gave rise to 546,630 jobs in 2022. California boasted the highest number of solar, wind, and traditional hydropower jobs, followed by Texas and New York.
Clean Transportation Jobs
Clean vehicles supported 373,605 jobs in 2022, with battery electric vehicle employment seeing the biggest growth at almost 27%. Meanwhile, public transportation accounted for 821,220 jobs in the same year.
Adaptation and Resilience Jobs
As climate change impacts intensify, jobs related to adaptation and resilience are on the rise. The American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) represent about 1,400 individuals and over 40 organizations that employ more than 180,000 people. In 2022, at least 1,500 professional-level adaptation jobs were hired for across all 50 states.
Looking at the Future of Climate Jobs
Due to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act, long-term certainty for investment and job creation in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate resilience has been established. Projects from these Acts are expected to provide over 303,500 jobs annually while creating about 100,000 permanent jobs each year. With this trend, the energy and climate job sector will continue to diversify.
To access full details, please download the PDF version of this fact sheet.
Original Story at www.eesi.org
