A report by the Financial Sector Deepening entitled Forecasting Green Jobs in Africa has revealed that, by the year 2030, Kenya is on course to create the continent’s second-highest number of direct green jobs. According to the report, the country is projected to create 240,000 new jobs related to environment preservation and restoration, just like Nigeria, while South Africa will create more at 275,000.
Co-authored with recruitment company Shortlist, the FSD report forecasts that Ethiopia will create 133,000 green jobs, followed by Democratic Republic of Congo, with the projection for the addition of 47,000. Other African countries will contribute an additional 1.04 million green jobs, bringing the total to 3.23 million on the continent.
Intentional Action Needed
The report claims that South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria have the highest potential for creating jobs. This view is based on their population size, GDP, and maturity of industries. To achieve this, however, there needs to be focused effort in skilling, with a view to ensuring a robust talent pipeline. To hit or exceed these targets requires relentless and purposeful action by all those concerned: learning and training institutions, funders and investors, large employers, industry associations, policymakers, and researchers,” says the report.
Solar Technology Leading the Way
Solar will corner the largest share of green jobs in Kenya in 2030, at approximately 111,000—equivalent to 40% of the projected green employment. Because of the progress it has made in solar technology, Kenya is one of the focal points for job creation.
Other green job sectors in Kenya include:
- Geothermal: 22,000 jobs
- Power transmission and distribution: 18,000 jobs
- Waste remediation and recycling: 18,000 jobs
- Battery storage: 16,000 jobs
- Electric two-wheelers: 14,200 jobs
- Wind: 12,000 jobs
- Hydro: 11,000 jobs
- Aquaculture and poultry: 7,000 jobs
- Charging infrastructure: 5,900 jobs
Investing in Education and Training
The report referred to a call for investment in formal education and trainings for the acquisition of technical skills relevant to green jobs, in particular to high-potential sectors, and in on-the-job-skill development programs by employers through structured apprenticeships and continuous professional development.
The number of green talent workers—those possessing the skill set to undergird environmental and business sustainability—is on the rise in Kenya, mirroring the global drive to bring down carbon emissions. This builds a case for strategic investments in education, training, and job creation initiatives as a way to reach both environmental and economic imperatives.