How many jobs? The employment effects of investment in energy efficiency of buildings

Published in May 2012 by the Energy Efficiency Industrial Forum, based on research by Rod Janssen and Dan Staniaszek, this survey analysed a number of reputable studies on the employment impact of investment in upgrading the energy efficiency of existing buildings, in the context of the Energy Efficiency Directive.

Its key finding: on average, investing €1 million in upgrading the energy efficiency of our building stock creates 19 new direct jobs in the construction sector, the vast majority of them local and non-transferable, leading to economic vibrancy in the EU. Policy-makers can rely on this factor of 19 jobs per €1 million invested when formulating new policies, while acknowledging variations between Member States.