Clean economy has been producing jobs at a faster pace than the overall economy lately in the the West Coast, a new study has found. The West Coast Clean Economy: 2010-2014 Jobs Update report, released by The Delphi Group and commissioned by Pacific Coast Collaborative (PCC), discloses that clean economy jobs have grown about 2.2 times faster than the overall economy across the PCC regions for the past four years.
screenshot from West Coast Clean Economy
“New investments, supportive public policy (including energy efficiency regulations and building codes), and shifting market demand for more sustainable products are all contributors to this job growth,” the report noted.
The four regions of PCC include three U.S. states:–California, Oregon, and Washington–and British Columbia in Canada. PCC was formed in 2008, when the four regions decided to join hands to transition to a low-carbon economy. With a population of 54 million, economy in the PPC area is the 5th largest in the world.
In the report, the clean economy framework is based on a 2011 study by the Brookings Institute that consists of five core sectors, including: (1) Clean Energy Supply; (2) Clean Transportation; (3) Green Buildings and Energy Efficiency; (4) Environmental Protection & Resource Management; and (5) Knowledge and Support. The five core sectors cover a total of 38 segments, such as HVAC & Building Control Systems Lighting, Waste Management & Treatment, and Sustainable Forestry Products.
A clean Economy job, in this report, follows the definition from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is either a production job that produces goods or provides services benefiting the environment , or a process job that makes the establishment of a production consuming fewer natural resources.
screenshot from West Coast Clean Economy
Among all five sectors, job growth has accelerated most in the Green Building and Energy Efficiency sector, followed by Clean Energy Supply. Jobs in Environmental Protection & Resource Management still outnumbered all other sectors, despite a slight decrease in total share of clean economy jobs.
screenshot via West Coast Clean Economy
Broken down into segments, Green Architecture & Construction Services filled the most jobs in 2014, followed by Public Mass Transit & Rail. Lighting, Solar Photovoltaic, and Appliances are the three fastest growing segments–each at least doubled in 2014.
