Brussels - The renewable energy sector is expected to create an additional 410,000 jobs in the European Union by 2020, according to a European Commission study on Tuesday. That would bring the total number working in the sector to 2.8 million.
But these estimates assume that the 27-member bloc will stick to its target of deriving 20 per cent of its total energy consumption from renewable sources - such as biomass, wind and solar power - by 2020.
According to the commission's study meeting the target will also create an extra 0.24 per cent in terms of gross domestic product (GDP).
"This shows that (the) benefits of renewables in terms of security of supply and fighting climate change can go hand in hand with economic benefits," said EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.
The renewable energy sector employed 1.4 million people across the EU in 2005, with this figure set to double to 2.8 million jobs by 2020.
That should offset the about 1 million jobs which are expected to be shed in traditional, high-polluting energy generation.
Most of the new jobs are expected to be created in the Central and Eastern European nations that have joined the EU since 2004.
