Bern – The energy transition will have positive effects on employment in the construction and energy sectors. However, their impact on overall employment is rather small. This is shown by a report commissioned by the Federal Council.
The orientation of energy and climate policy toward net zero emissions will have a positive impact on employment in the construction and energy sectors. This is the conclusion of a report commissioned by the Federal Council in response to a postulate by National Councilor Nadine Masshardt (SP/BE). However, the impact of the energy transition on overall employment will be rather small, writes the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications(DETEC) in a statement accompanying the report. The Swiss economy remains on course for growth.
In concrete terms, the experts commissioned with the report assume an additional demand for labor of around 16,500 full-time positions in the energy sector for 2035. According to them, the main drivers of employment are the expansion of photovoltaics, heat pumps and heating networks. In addition, investments in heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology to improve energy and building efficiency should have a positive impact. In the longer term, carbon capture and storage processes and negative emisson technologies could also contribute to increased job creation.
In greenhouse gas and energy-intensive industries, as well as in private mobility and fossil energy, the energy transition has a negative impact on employment. However, with the “business as usual” comparison scenario, “the net zero target cannot be achieved,” clarifies DETEC. The scenario relying on fossil energies therefore does not represent an equivalent alternative to the energy turnaround, but serves “merely as a reference”. hs
