MINISTER FOR JOBS, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton today published a report on growth and employment in the green economy which extimates that an additional 10,000 jobs could be created in this area by 2015.
The report says the green economy presents a major opportunity for growth, competitiveness and employment creation and “Ireland has significant strengths and advantages which it can leverage to exploit business opportunities”.
The green economy globally is worth more than €3 trillion, employs more than 30 million people, and is projected to grow at 3.7 per cent per year over the coming years.
The government’s green economy plans include a commitment to connect at least 200MW of renewable generation to the grid each year.
It also plans to introduce legislation to provide for a new offshore licensing and permitting regime and a ‘Pay As You Save’ scheme to improve energy efficiency in public and commercial sectors.
Through Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, the government will work with indigenous companies and seek to attract more green financial service companies to Ireland, according to the plan.
Commenting on the report today, Bruton said that the government is determined to act decisively to ensure that the proper measures are put in place to realise the potential for these jobs.
We are targeting growth across the range of activities in the green economy – renewable energy, energy efficiency, financial services, agriculture, tourism, waste and water management, green products and services and low carbon transport. We are putting in place the proper supports through our research and development systems to ensure that we can create not only the companies that will create jobs in this decade but also the businesses that will create the jobs we need in the 2020s.
However the Minister said there is a need for a whole-of-government approach to this issue if they are to deliver on the potential that exists.
“The green economy has a major part to play in creating the jobs and growth we need”, he said. “Today’s announcement lays out the roadmap to ensure we deliver the vast potential in this sector.”
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