Hundreds of labour-intensive mines are expected to close in the coming decades as they reach the end of their lifespans and countries replace coal with cleaner low-carbon energy sources.

But most of the mines likely to shut down “have no planning underway to extend the life of those operations or to manage a transition to a post-coal economy,” US-based think tank Global Energy Monitor (GEM) warned.

Dorothy Mei, project manager for GEM’s Global Coal Mine Tracker, said governments needed to make plans to ensure workers do not suffer from the energy transition.

“Coal mine closures are inevitable, but economic hardship and social strife for workers are not,” she said.

GEM looked at 4,300 active and proposed coal mine projects around the world covering a total workforce of nearly 2.7 million. It found that more than 400,000 workers are employed in mines set to cease operations before 2035.

Shanxi hardest hit

If plans were implemented to phase down coal to limit global warming to 1.5C, only 250,000 miners – less than 10% of the current workforce – would be required worldwide, GEM estimated.

China’s coal industry, the world’s biggest, currently employs more than 1.5 million people, GEM estimated. Of the 1 million job global job losses expected by 2050, more than 240,000 will be in the province of Shanxi alone.

China’s coal sector has already undergone several waves of restructuring in recent decades, with many mining districts in the north and northeast struggling to find alternative sources of growth and employment following pit closures.

“The coal industry, on the whole, has a notoriously bad reputation for its treatment of workers,” said Ryan Driskell Tate, GEM’s program director for coal.

“What we need is proactive planning for workers and coal communities… so industry and governments will remain accountable to those workers who have borne the brunt for so long.”

The post One million coal jobs face the axe globally by 2050 appeared first on Climate Home News.

Founded ten years ago, Climate Home News is one of the leading independent voices covering the climate crisis. We aim to be the go-to media outlet for a global community of doers and thinkers seeking to understand the political, social and economic drivers of the climate crisis and climate action. 

We’re looking for an organised and creative individual with plenty of ideas to be our new Audience Engagement Editor.  

This is a role with two key dimensions. First, you will be our go-to editor for social media, working with the rest of the team to promote our news and original reporting across our platforms in a creative way. You will be responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring and improving social media strategies to increase Climate Home News’ reach and impact.  

Second, you will lead our audience engagement efforts, devising strategies beyond social media to both foster new demographic growth, and also nurture the current audience we have built. 

You’ll have creative freedom to work at our leading global climate change publication, delivering original journalism that informs, inspires and holds power accountable.  

Salary range: £28,000 – 35,000 per year depending on experience and geographic location. 

Location: Global 

Terms: Full time, freelance contract 

Deadline: June 11th, 2023 

What you will do: 

• Work with our editorial team to devise new and innovative content ideas to promote and elevate our journalism. 
• Own and evolve our social media strategy, planning and maintaining our social content calendar across all key social media channels (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok). 

• Create, plan and implement different ideas to cultivate and engage with new and current audiences. 
• Implement methods for monitoring and analysing audience growth. 
• Use our web and social analytics to guide us in making decisions for our future strategy and direction. 
• Promote and find creative ways to distribute Climate Home’s branded content. 
• Report regularly on the impact of social and audience engagement efforts, logging impact to use in marketing and other promotional (such as annual reviews) for Climate Home. 

Desirable experience: 

• At least 3 years of experience managing social media accounts for organizations and media, as well as a deep understanding of social media trends and drivers.  
• Ability to create and edit visual content using branding guidelines and tools such as Canva or Photoshop for use across social platforms. 
• Experience leading engagement strategies and audience research. 
• Experience managing and interacting with online communities related to an organization 

• Experience monitoring data from social media and websites to extract key insights 
• Deep knowledge of each of the platforms we manage: Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn and Newsletters. 
• Experience with short-form video editing. 
• Genuine interest in the climate crisis and its global impacts. 
• Genuine interest in independent journalism. 

• Ability to work in international teams. 

How to apply: 

Applications have now closed.

The post Climate Home News is hiring! Apply to be our Audience Engagement Editor appeared first on Climate Home News.

The International Energy Agency said a post-pandemic jobs rebound in the sector has been driven by emissions-cutting technologies such as electric vehicle production, building insulation, solar projects and wind farms.

Clean energy, which under IEA’s definition includes nuclear power, is now estimated to account for more than half the 65 million energy sector jobs globally.

However, the Paris-based agency said high energy prices including for fossil fuels have seen an upswing in employment, notably for liquefied natural gas infrastructure. Many countries in Europe are scrambling to find alternatives to Russian gas supplies due to the war in Ukraine.

It also noted that wages in clean energy jobs lag behind those in the fossil fuel industry, where unionization rates are higher and risky work has been compensated with higher pay. The exception is nuclear, due to the highly skilled labor needed, the agency said.

“Countries around the world are responding to the current crisis by seeking to accelerate the growth of homegrown clean energy industries,” said IEA’s executive director, Fatih Birol. “The regions that make this move will see huge growth in jobs.”

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He urged companies, labor representatives and governments to ensure that clean energy projects provide high quality employment and attract a diverse workforce. Women are significantly underrepresented in the energy sector, which as a whole accounts for about 2% of the global workforce, IEA said.

Where possible, fossil fuel workers should be given the option to retrain for clean energy jobs, the agency said. It predicted could up to 14 million new clean energy jobs could be created by 2030, with an additional 16 million workers switching to new roles related to clean energy.

The post Clean energy jobs overtake fossil fuel sector but wages lag behind appeared first on Climate Home News.

(Pic: UNFCCC/Flickr)

With experience writing about environmental issues, you’ll be responsible for contributing to Climate Home’s daily output, as well as producing regular on and off diary stories.

You’ll need to be able to explain complex political and diplomatic issues, break down scientific studies and report on the impacts of climate change around the world.

This could include reporting from UN climate negotiations, interrogating Exxon’s business plan or joining the dots between climate change and Boko Haram.

As a journalist with a sound understanding of digital platforms and social media, you’ll be comfortable communicating in a clear, accurate and engaging way.

Responsibilities

-Breaking news reports and analysis
-Work on feature stories, investigations and blogs
-Engage with audience on social media platforms
-Film and edit video for Climate Change TV
-Build and maintain a wide network of contacts

Key skills and abilities

-Excellent written English & ability to write clear and accurate copy
-Enthusiasm for sector and ability to work on own initiative
-Familiarity with key climate change and energy political issues
-Demonstrable social media skills
-Sound understanding of digital media platforms
-Naturally collaborative team player

Location:
The role is based in Climate Home’s central London offices, with some foreign travel

Hours/duration:
This is a permanent contact, subject to a three-month review. Full time (40 hours a week)

Salary:
£DoE

For further details about this post contact Ed King – ek@climatehome.org

How to apply:

Please send the following to ek@climatehome.org:

-Your CV
-A one-page covering letter, explaining why you would be a good fit for the role and the organisation, and your plan to develop our coverage
-Two clips from the past three months

The deadline for applications is 9 May at noon BST

About Climate Home:

Climate Home is a leading source of news and analysis on the fraught international politics of global warming. A member of the Guardian Environment Network, our UN talks coverage is essential reading, lent authority by our year-round focus on climate science, economics and policy. The London-based editorial team works with reporters from Delhi, Moscow and Rio de Janeiro to bring out the best stories worldwide.

Climate Change TV offers an online channel hosting interviews and footage from international climate change and development summits. It was the first online video broadcaster devoted entirely to climate change issues. Climate Home and Climate Change TV are both funded by Responding to Climate Change Limited (RTCC) which was founded in 2002.

The post Jobs at Climate Home: Reporter appeared first on Climate Home News.