Although the US leads in investing in clean energy, China is the leading engine for green manufacturing jobs, reports Maria Gallucci at Inside Climate News. A new report from Pew Charitable Trusts, a Washington policy group, found that the United States took in $48.1 billion in public and private financing in renewable energy technologies last year, a dramatic increase from previous years. Yet, the US spends more on research and development, and less in areas that create the most jobs—namely, manufacturing, installing and exporting goods like solar panels, energy-efficient lightbulbs and smart grid technologies. China leads the world in “asset financing,” or investments in renewable energy generation projects, which require much manpower to be built, installed, operated and maintained, and that’s where the jobs are. National policies like China’s renewables targets are key to drawing investment in advanced manufacturing and other job-creating sectors of the clean economy. “Investors are just looking for assurance, so they are going to the markets where they can be ensured that they’re going to have a return on their investments,” said Pew’s Clean Energy director. In constrast, the US has no clean energy goals.
Source
This Week in Clean Economy: China Is Leading the Race for Clean Energy Jobs
Report finds that America spends a lot less than China in clean energy sectors that have the most job-creation potential. By Maria Gallucci, InsideClimate News. Posted: 13 Apr 2012 06:00 AM PDT http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120413/this-week-clean-economy-united-states-clean-energy-race-china-green-jobs-investment-solar-wind-pew-report?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+solveclimate%2Fblog+%28InsideClimate+News%29
