Can renewable energy jobs help reduce poverty in India?
India launched a massive renewable energy push in 2014 — a move that could bring electricity and jobs to poor, rural communities across the country. The government set ambitious targets to generate 160 gigawatts of wind and solar power by 2022, and studies estimate that, to achieve these goals, India must create 330,000 new jobs over the next five years. Can Renewable Energy Jobs Help Reduce Poverty in India? finds that many of these jobs will provide steady incomes, healthcare benefits and skill-building opportunities for unskilled and semi-skilled workers. For India’s rural poor, especially women, clean energy jobs offer an alternative to subsistence farming. The report provides recommendations that government officials, private sector leaders and civil society can take to maximize poverty reduction impacts.