A report by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) shows that in 2012, 5.7 million people were employed by the renewable energy sector, directly or indirectly.

The REN21 is a report by an international group which monitors sustainable energy policy. The reported showed that developing nations are catching up to developed countries in all aspects, including employment. Most of the jobs in the sector were in Brazil, China and the US – however Bangladesh alone employed 150 000 people directly in selling, installing and maintaining solar panels with another 80 000 employed indirectly.

The report states that, “Overall, aggregate worldwide renewable energy employment continues to increase in a dynamic – albeit somewhat tumultuous -process that entails both gains and losses in different parts of the world.”

As previously reported, the research of 2012 also showed that it was the second highest year ever for renewable energy investment. However, it also states that this may not be a true reflection as the price of solar and wind energy has dropped dramatically.

In other news, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched a $400 million fund in hopes of reducing the reliance on diesel in rural areas of Australia. The aim is produce around 150MW’s of renewable energy capacity over five years – already the fund is expected to launch two large scale projects totalling 10MW’s. Resources and Energy Minister Gary Gray is hopeful that the launch of the fund will help deliver power to those that struggle to access reliable sources of electricity.

Click here to see the full REN21 Report.