promoting sustainable green jobs for the eu energy … · jose donoso president aee asociación...

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Brussels, 23 March 2010

European Economic and Social Committee

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE GREEN JOBS FOR THE EU ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE PACKAGE

GREEN JOBS

Jose DonosoPresident

AEE Asociación Empresarial Eólica

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Wind industry in Spain: a safe bet

NEW GREEN JOBS23 March 2010

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Spanish wind energy sector: stable and constant growth within the Renewable Energy Plan 2005-2010

This great performance has happened along important job creation and a very significant contribution to achieving the objectives of energy and

environmental policies

Cumulative capacity in Spain 1998-2009


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Wind Energy has consolidated as the third technology of the power system in Spain

Wind energy reached in 2009 an output of 36.188 GWh, only overtaken

by thermal gas combined cycle and nuclear

In 2009, wind energy has covered 14.3% of the demand compared to

11.5% in 2008

Demand coverage for 2009 (Source: REE)


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The benefits of wind energy in Spain: macroeconomic, environmental and social returns


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Green jobs in Spain


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Green jobs in Spain

The Spanish wind industry employed 41,500 people at the end of 2008

But the wind industry, and green jobs therefore, heavily depend on

regulation. National and regional legislation provide an essential support

for this sector

The financial crisis and the introduction of the new Royal Decree Law

6/2009, which introduced regulatory instability, have meant a slowdown of

the performance of the wind sector in 2009

As a result, AEE estimates that 15,000 jobs were lost in 2009. And 18,000 could

be lost in 2010 if a clear and stable new regulatory framework is not established


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Green jobs, good jobs

Employment in the renewable energy sector shows more stability

than in the rest of industries

Permanent contracts amount to 82%. Temporary contracts account for 15% of

total whereas for the rest of sectors combined they rise up to 30%

Renewable energy enterprises employ a highly qualified labour force

In Spain, half of the labour force are technical engineers, either with high

university degrees (32%) or technicians (18%)

The sector of renewable energy in Spain has a great potential for

employment creation in the coming years


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Green jobs: a political choice

Energy markets are always the result of political choices


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Europe will continue to lead in green job creation

According to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA),

EU employment in wind energy will more than double from 154,000

in 2007 to almost 330,000 in 2020

Key objectives:

Ensure a quick and efficient implementation of the EU’s Renewables

Directive to increase the number of clean technology job

Encourage public authorities and private companies to make joint efforts

to provide training to allow workers to transfer from declining economic

sectors to the wind power sector

Encourage better communication on the possibility of wind energy as a

career path at secondary school and university level


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Wind energy: an answer to the strategic and environmental challenges

The current economic crisis is seasonal. The structural crisis has two

main themes:

Energy

Spain has an 82% external energy dependence. The European Union average is 50%

In coming years energy demand and price volatility will rise as emerging countries consumption grows

Environmental

Energy is the key factor of climate change. Spain has to limit its CO2 emissions to +15% with reference to 1990. In 2008 emissions rose 42.7%


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Wind energy: an answer to the strategic and environmental challenges

In this context, wind energy is a guarantee of supply, competitiveness and economic, political and energy independence: it is an autonomous,

emission-free source and the reference renewable technology


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Economic certainty: fossil fuel high volatility

Fossil fuel prices are forecasted to strongly increase in the 2030 horizon, due to reserve exhaustion and a 40% increase in global energy demand (IEA)


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When the economic crisis finishes, wind power will be a competitiveness factor

The economic downturn interrupted the rise in energy prices, but the rise is actually

resuming and the upward trend will be increased, due to the demand increase that

will undergo emerging countries like China, India or Brazil

Wind energy will play a key role as a guarantee of supply, contributing to increase

energy, economic and political independence and to create new jobs

Fight against climate change will require a “decarbonization” of the energy system. To

achieve it, energy efficiency and renewables will be essential, particularly wind energy

0,50,4India

1,50,8China

3,53,5European Union

7,67,5USA

20071990Energy demand per capita (toe)


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Conclusions


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Conclusions

There is a significant ray of hope amid the current economic

gloom: it goes by the name of green jobs

The important role of wind energy is a very clear example: to the

environmental benefits and reduction of energy dependence, we

can add the creation of an important technological and industrial

base with significant job creation

This has been possible due to the existence of a vigorous policy

that encouraged this development and added value to the economy


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Conclusions

“The nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy”

Barack Obama State of the Union address, January 27, 2010

Decision-making must take into account medium and long term,

not only the short term

Decisions made today about green jobs will have profound

consequences for our economy, environment, and social structure

for decades to come

We need to maintain the European leadership in wind energy


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Thank you for your attention

18NEW GREEN JOBS23 March 2010

promoting sustainable green jobs for the eu energy … · jose donoso president aee asociación...

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