How many green jobs are there in electricity generation? A replicable quantification method for developing countries under data constraints

Assessing the scale of green jobs and the socioeconomic effects of the energy transition is relevant and timely, while clear, comparable methodologies are still scarce. The discussion around just transitions, and the extent to which renewable energy creates more positive socioeconomic impacts than fossil fuels, increasingly attracts policymakers' and researchers' attention. However, data constraints, particularly in developing economies, expose a relevant gap in providing quantitative evidence for such discussions. This is especially relevant in countries with outstanding potential for renewable deployments, such as the case of Brazil. Existing data usually is considerably aggregated into activities irrespectively of technology or Greenhouse gas emission profile, and general international frameworks for such quantification may prove inadequate. In this paper, we propose a replicable data triangulation approach to disaggregate electricity jobs and wages into renewable and non-renewable electricity generation sources applied to the case of Brazil, using national accounts data, energy generation statistics and electricity-source specific employment coefficients from where data is available. One can use the resulting dataset either purely as the current scale of renewable and non-renewable electricity jobs and income or as the database for further modelling projections, particularly macroeconomic, multisectoral models, namely input-output and computable general equilibrium models

Water, waste, energy and food nexus in Brazil: Identifying a resource interlinkage research agenda through a systematic review

The resource nexus consists of a framework to address interlinkages between natural resources and systems that provide water, energy, food and waste management. It transcends traditional assessments conducted in “silos”, raising trade-offs and synergies that are rarely acknowledged. The nexus framework is intrinsically context-specific, as each respective region has particularities in terms of critical interlinkages. Brazil is the world's eighth largest economy [1] and is heavily reliant on natural resources. This paper considers Brazil to be a textbook case for nexus research that identifies critical interlinkages that are neglected by literature, which is typically based on single-resource analysis. It proposes a research agenda to advance resource nexus assessments and improve resource governance in Brazil. We propose a novel method for nexus research, systematically reviewing geographical context-specific papers in relevant single nexus dimensions and establishing resource interlinkages that characterise research gaps and policy priorities. We found that 36% of practices reviewed involve more than one resource at a time, characterising interlinkages not analysed by the literature. Lastly, selected quantitative indicators were used to identify critical interlinkages by analysing the representativeness of practices in the national context, and the relevance of synergies or trade-offs for Brazil. Critical interlinkages in Brazil were found to be irrigation for energy crop expansion (water, food and energy); transport biofuels and fuelwood (water, energy, food); deforestation for new pasture (water, energy, food); and hydropower generation (water and energy). These are, therefore, priorities for future nexus research and for efforts to address synergies and trade-offs in resource governance

Is Green Recovery Enough? Analysing the Impacts of Post-COVID-19 Economic Packages

Emissions pathways after COVID-19 will be shaped by how governments’ economic responses translate into infrastructure expansion, energy use, investment planning and societal changes. As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, most governments worldwide launched recovery packages aiming to boost their economies, support employment and enhance their competitiveness. Climate action is pledged to be embedded in most of these packages, but with sharp differences across countries. This paper provides novel evidence on the energy system and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions implications of post-COVID-19 recovery packages by assessing the gap between pledged recovery packages and the actual investment needs of the energy transition to reach the Paris Agreement goals. Using two well-established Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) and analysing various scenarios combining recovery packages and climate policies, we conclude that currently planned recovery from COVID-19 is not enough to enhance societal responses to climate urgency and that it should be significantly upscaled and prolonged to ensure compatibility with the Paris Agreement goals