A recent report from international research organisation the Global Climate Network (GCN) has indicated that some 36 400 new direct jobs and 109 100 indirect jobs could be created in the renewable energy sector in South Africa by 2020.
Further, as many as 700 000 people could be employed in the biofuels industry in South Africa, the report entitled ‘Low carbon jobs in an interconnected world' stated.
These figures were derived assuming a 15% target for energy generated from renewable sources by 2020, which follows from the South African government's long-term mitigation scenarios (LTMS) document, which guides policy. The most stringent of these scenarios suggests that about 50% of South Africa's energy would need to come from renewable sources by 2050.
"Significant opportunities for employment lie in clean energy sectors and can be harnessed if the South African government scales up its renewable energy ambitions. Targeted government policies to increase local demand for priority renewable technologies – such as solar photovoltaic – and measures to encourage investment in the domestic market will be necessary to ensure job opportunities are maximised," stated the study.
The report further added that the South African government would need to determine future human capacity needs in renewable energy sectors and prioritise skills development accordingly, through public training programmes and sectoral initiatives.
The global report also outlined potential job opportunities in low-carbon technologies in Australia, China, Germany, India, Nigeria, the UK and the US. Together it was estimated that almost 20-million jobs could be created in these GCN member states.
Overall recommendations from the report were that clear, consistent and targeted government policy would help boost job numbers and national low-carbon industrial strategies should be developed.
Finance was also viewed as critical to the creation of low-carbon economic opportunities and governments were urged to "pull all available financial levers".
Training was also vital to the development of low-carbon sectors, and GCN recommended that skills gaps should be identified and a training strategy developed.
"Adjustment policies should also form part of the strategy," cautioned the GCN, adding that likely job losses should be identified to ensure that these are minimised.
The local member of GCN, Imbewu Sustainability Legal Specialists, which also officially launched the South African satellite of the global GCN think-tank on Wednesday, undertook the South African component of the research.
At the launch of the South African branch of the GCN, the group explained that by producing joint research, staging events together and seeking to influence policy, the GCN sought to assist in bridging the divide that exists between international negotiations and national politics.
It was viewed as particularly timely as stakeholders began to internalise what took place at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference of the parties in Copenhagen in December, where member States failed to come to a fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement on climate change.
"After the disappointment of Copenhagen, the GCN offers hope because it brings together leading institutions from all of the biggest emitters and economies in a drive to reframe the climate debate. Our work on technology and job creation in low-carbon industries is already grabbing the attention of decision makers,"  London Institute for Public Policy Research climate change associate director Simon Retallak said at the launch.

"It is our aim to demonstrate the opportunities for an economy like South Africa's in pursuing a coherent, government-led framework to spur a low-carbon revolution," explained Imbewu director Andrew Gilder.