Companies in 75 countries actively sourced 465 terawatt hours of renewable energy in 2017, an amount close to the overall electricity demand of France, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency . With the continued decline in the costs of renewables, the report suggests, corporate demand will continue to increase as companies seek to reduce electricity bills, hedge against future price spikes and address sustainability concerns. Learn more.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has launched the Empowering Women as Managers in the Renewable Energy Sector initiative, which aims to support the accelerated career advancement of women in APEC economies who work in the field of renewable energy. It is specifically designed for those holding mid-level career positions, and applications from women in travel-eligible economies are strongly encouraged to apply to attend a one-week workshop that will include lectures, trainings, business plans pitches to experienced stakeholders, and networking opportunities. Learn more.

The renewable energy industry created more than 500,000 new jobs globally in 2017, a 5.3 per cent increase from 2016, according to the latest figures released by the International Renewable Energy Agency. According to the fifth edition of Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review, the total number of people employed in the sector (including large hydropower) now stands at 10.3 million globally, surpassing the 10 million figure for the first time. Learn more.

Municipal policymakers need to navigate, analyse and prioritise a broad range of resources available on buildings efficiency online in order to tailor solutions to their specific local circumstances. We are assisting the Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN) to develop a best-practices knowledge centre specifically for municipal policymakers that will provide a validated evidence base of building energy policies and actions that have demonstrated results for cities. And, GBPN would like your input into shaping the centre by completing a short survey on how they can better provide evidence to support municipal actions to reduce building energy demand. All responses will remain anonymous and results shared. Thank you for your supporting our partners at GBPN. Learn more.