The US green economy is estimated to generate over $1.3 trillion in revenue per year, representing 16.5% of the global green economy, according to a new study by UCL. The green economy – broadly defined as an economy that is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive – is a major source of jobs in the US, employing an estimated 9.5 million people. The study, published in Palgrave Communications, finds that the size of the green economy and employment in the US grew by 20% between 2013 and 2016. This represents an additional 1.5 million jobs in the green economy; while over the same period, according to Department of Energy data, the coal industry saw a decline of 37,000 jobs. Despite recent employment declines in the coal industry and scientists warning that we have 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage caused by the climate change emergency, the ‘America First Energy Policy’, put forward by Donald Trump as a candidate, proposed that 400,000 jobs could be created in the fossil fuel sector over the next 30 years. To view the full article visit the Environmental Network News.
