In an interview in the New York Times on March 6, outgoing US climate diplomat and former Secretary of State) John Kerry discussed the status of climate change mitigation efforts in the US and worldwide. Though the article discusses many frustrations Kerry experienced during his tenure, there was also plenty of room for hope.
Of particular note was the growth of green infrastructure efforts, and the associated rise in green jobs.
For the first time, the amount of money going into renewable energy has surpassed that going into fossil fuels.
And for the first time, new green jobs are surpassing the overall job growth rate. Kerry points to statistics showing that job growth in clean energy in 2023 was 3.9% compared to the overall job growth in the US work force which was 3.1%.
So for the first time, clean energy is winning in job growth.
John Kerry
Yes, there are many frustrations, especially with the goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees seeming harder to reach.
But we are moving in the right direction in terms of our efforts, and the growth in green jobs in certainly a green success story.