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Energy

People with energy

Most jobs in the EU energy sector are linked to conventional sources, but the strong focus on clean energy technologies and renewables will lead to many new opportunities in the labour market requiring new skills.

The production and use of energy account for more than 75% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. Decarbonising the EU’s energy system is therefore critical to speed up the clean energy transition and achieve the energy and climate targets.

According to a Eurobarometer survey (November 2023), 62% of small and medium-sized enterprises in the renewable energy sector faced difficulties recruiting staff with the right skills. It highlights the necessity to reinforce adequate skills in the workforce, to scale-up the production of renewables across Europe.

‘People saving energy’ videos

These videos present individual portraits of people working on energy efficiency and energy savings across Europe. They talk about their ambitions and hopes, making their own contribution to reaching our common energy efficiency targets and share what inspired them to pursue this professional path.

The videos are also available on DG ENER’s YouTube channel and can be downloaded or embedded from the dedicated page in the European Commission’s Audiovisual portal, in 22 languages and in a shorter (teaser) or longer version (+/- 2 minutes).

Renewable energy – a growing sector

The EU’s renewable energy sector is growing rapidly. This is positive not only for the climate (in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions) but also for reducing our dependence on imported energy and for the creation of new jobs, particularly in clean energy technologies.

Overall, around 1.3 million people were employed in the EU renewable energy sector in 2020 and this figure will increase, following the accelerated deployment of clean energy solutions. The EU’s binding renewable energy target for 2030 has been agreed to a minimum of 42.5%, up from the previous 32% target, and almost doubling the existing share of renewable energy sources in the EU. Achieving these targets and the REPowerEU plan will require the creation of over 3.5 million new jobs in the sector by 2030.

‘People with energy’ videos

The videos are available in short and slightly longer versions with subtitles in 22 official EU languages. They can be downloaded or embedded directly from the dedicated page in the European Commission's Audiovisual Service portal or watched on DG ENER's YouTube channel (in original version with EN subtitles).

This series, launched in 2022, focuses on renewable energy. In each of the 6 videos, we meet EU citizens working in renewable energy installations, in different parts of Europe. They explain what they do and highlight the benefits of renewables and share their insight about the job opportunities that the sector offers.

European Year of skills 2023

Through the organisation of activities and events across Europe, the European Year of Skills 2023 will help to promote skills development, thereby improving professional and life opportunities for people. This will enable the EU to become more competitive by boosting its workforce and ensuring that the green and digital transformations and the economic recovery are socially fair and just.