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The Greentech Revolution The Potential for Jobs – How can Ireland Benefit?

The Greentech Revolution The Potential for Jobs – How can Ireland Benefit?. Irish Congress of Trade Unions Seminar. 24 th June 2009 Brendan Halligan Chairman. What is Greentech?. The means of reducing GHG emissions. 80% on 1990 levels by 2050.

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The Greentech Revolution The Potential for Jobs – How can Ireland Benefit?

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  1. The Greentech RevolutionThe Potential for Jobs – How can Ireland Benefit? Irish Congress of Trade Unions Seminar 24th June 2009 Brendan Halligan Chairman

  2. What is Greentech? • The means of reducing GHG emissions. • 80% on 1990 levels by 2050. • At a time when electricity production will double.

  3. What is the Greentech Revolution? • The decarbonisation of the economy. • Reorganisation of society into efficient and sustainable households and communities. • Creation of the “Electric Economy”. • Invention of machines, appliances,systems and appliances that will deliver. • Educating and training the human resources. • Legislating for a “green world”. • Managing the transition from “Brown” to “Green”.

  4. Vision for 2050 • All building stock retrofitted • Positive carbon buildings the norm • 100% RE power generation • Distributed generation and distribution • Electrified transport • Smart Grids • Holistic energy management • Low carbon energy

  5. The Electric Economy • RE Power Generation • Electric transport (cars, trains, metro, trucks, buses) • Sustainable communities • Smart buildings • Smart Households and businesses • Smart Grid • No hydrocarbons!

  6. Future Formula Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director International Energy Agency First Priority: Energy Efficiency Second Priority: De-carbonise the Power Sector Third Priority: Electrify Transport (fuelled by RE)

  7. McKinsey Cost Curve

  8. Energy Efficiency • 1.2 million houses plus 1 million buildings. • All need to be retrofitted. • 5 €billion for houses plus 10 €billion for buildings. • Direct job creation – 60/€1m. • Approx 1m man years plus • 1m man years indirect. • 70,000 p.a. over thirty years.

  9. Smart Energy - Efficiency • Huge need for smart appliances. • Allied to smart local area networks. • Opportunities for design and manufacturing. • Plus IT system development. • Plus green financial products. • Jobs potential not yet calculated.

  10. How Great is the RE Potential? • Energy self sufficiency. • Energy security. • Economic competitiveness. • Major RE exporter. • Leader in Green Technologies. • Massive job opportunities.

  11. Irish “Green” Resources • Best wind resources in Europe. • Best wave and tidal resources. • Climate suitable for biomass. • Promising geo-thermal resources. • Adequate solar resources. • Small manageable communities.

  12. 1. DG TREN Study “The impact of renewable energy policy on economic growth and employment in the European Union” The Employ RES research agencies conducted on behalf of the European Commission – April 2009

  13. EU Situation in 2005 Employment: 1,400,000 0.65% of total employment Value added: €58,000,000,000 GDP: 0.58% Direct Effect: 55% Indirect Effect 45%

  14. Results - Employment • Employment (ADP) 2020 – 2,800,000 new jobs 2030 – 3,400,000 new jobs Ireland’s potential share could be 270,000 new jobs by 2030

  15. Ireland’s Share (2005) • Lowest percentage GDP and Employment in EU (except Malta and Cyprus) • Denmark’s share is 10 times higher • Denmark Ltd 320,000 employment in RE • Ireland Ltd less than 10,000 • Irish potential for 300,000 jobs.

  16. 2. Copenhagen Climate Council Study • “Green Jobs and the Clean Energy Economy” Published by the Copenhagen Climate Council • Thought Leadership Series: No. 4 2009

  17. 3 Reasons for Clean Industry • Greater energy independence • Improved environmental benefits • Positive economic impacts

  18. Here’s a thought… …the renewable energy sector generates more jobs per unit of energy delivered than… …the fossil fuel energy sector!

  19. Germany 1990 – fixed Feed-In Tariff for PV 1991 – subsidised individual PV installations 1995 – provided loans Result: Germany is the top solar market in the world

  20. Denmark • Was 99% dependent on imported energy • Since 1980 has promoted energy efficiency and renewable energy • GDP grew by 56% • Energy consumption remained static • 20% of domestic electricity now from wind • Danish firms account for 40% global wind capacity • 320,000 employed in RE • 50% of turbines owned by 150,000 Danish families

  21. Navarre Population: 620,000 (1/7th Ireland) Area: 10,000 km² (1/8th Ireland) GDP: €16.5bn (6% of Ireland) 1996: 100% energy imported 2008: 70% self reliant 2010: 100% self reliant (target) Wind: 6th largest producer in Europe (900 MW) Solar PV: 1.2 MW plant (previously largest in EU)

  22. Navarre • Regional government strongly supports wind: • 4 wind turbine assembly factories • 4 blade factories • 2 component factories • One of the largest wind turbine testing labs in the world

  23. WHAT’s Happening?

  24. SEI Direct Jobs in 2009 Energy Efficiency 3,140 Renewable Energy 840 Support Programmes 395 Total 4,375

  25. SEI

  26. What are Renewable Energies? Wind Energy: Onshore & Offshore Ocean Energy: Wave & Tidal Solar Energy: Thermal & Photovoltaic Bio Energy: Biomass, Biofuel & Bioelectricity Geothermal: District Heating/Power Generation

  27. ESB New jobs 3,700 Sustained jobs 1,300 Engineers & Professionals 800 Apprentices 300 Total 6,000

  28. Private Sector Open Hydro: tidal energy Wavebob: wave energy C&F (Athenry): unique wind turbines Gaeltech (Cavan): wind farm Glen Dimplex: heat pumps Kingspan: buildings IBF: financing principles

  29. Macro-Strategy • Comparative Advantage in wind and ocean energy • Offshore wind potential limitless • Combine wind, wave and tidal • Aim to be a RE exporter • Create the supporting infrastructure • Build the Celtic Supergrid

  30. Jobs Potential Wind/Ocean: R&D, manufacturing, construction, logistics, operation & maintenance, exports, IT Buildings: R&D, retrofitting, materials manufacture, IT Transport: R&D, infrastrucutre, car manufacturing, components manufacturing, IT

  31. RE Power Generation • Limits to onshore wind... • But offshore is literally limitless • New ports, shipping • Ocean Energy is promising • Also Solar Energy • New manufacturing and construction plus • IT support systems and • Operations and maintenance

  32. RE Exports • Vision of a ‘supergrid’ • Ireland linked to mainland Europe by three power superhighways: • North: Scotland – Norway – Denmark - Germany • East: Wales – England – Netherlands - Germany • South: Cornwall – Brittany – France –Germany • Enables Ireland to link up with the Mediterranean Solar Supergrid

  33. Electric Transport • Will be achieved by 2030/40. • Government target of 10% of fleet by 2020. • ESB as major initiator. • Strategic alliance with Renault/Nissan. • RE to power the transport fleet. • Potential for car and component manufacturing. • Plus IT systems development.

  34. Green Financial Instruments • Essential to parallel existing system. • Green bonds. • A Green Bank – similar to US proposal. • And to ICC and ACC. • Income stream from sale of carbon allowances. • Securitisation of carbon savings. • A new philosophy.

  35. Key Insight Green is the new blue…. ….blue collar, that is.

  36. Key Messages • Remove Barriers • Create Incentives • Impose Penalties • Set Legal Limits

  37. Final Thoughts • Greentech revolution requires revolutionary thinking. • Leadership from social partners. • Clear TU position essential. • Solution to the environmental and employment crises. • Plus answer to energy security. • Most exciting prospect of this generation.

  38. Last Word • We are trying to prevent Catastrophic Climate Change. And thrive and survive.

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