World Bank Report: Climate Adaptation Could Generate 150 Million Jobs by 2050

A World Bank report released November 7, 2025 found climate adaptation investments could generate 150 million new jobs globally by 2050, while unchecked impacts could cause 43 million job losses across 93 economies. The findings reinforce adaptation investment as both a resilience and employment strategy for developing economies.

On November 7, 2025, the World Bank Group released its fourth summary of Country Climate and Development Reports, covering 93 developing and middle-income economies. The analysis found unchecked climate impacts could equate to 43 million job losses across analysed nations by 2050, with extrapolation suggesting up to 260 million losses across all low- and middle-income countries. Conversely, robust climate adaptation investments were projected to generate the equivalent of 150 million new jobs globally by mid-century.

Agriculture and heat-exposed sectors are most affected, with heat stress reducing labour productivity across formal and informal African economies. The most vulnerable populations and lower-skilled workers were found most heavily affected by economic shocks. New opportunities arise in green industries including solar installation and energy-efficient building technologies. Transitioning toward low-emission development was found to yield net economic gains for the majority of countries analysed, though substantial employment shifts occur across specific sectors and regions.

The report urged governments to invest in human capital development to provide skills for climate-resilient jobs and to facilitate worker reallocation to growing green industries. Improving the local business environment and physical infrastructure was identified as critical for attracting private capital. Protecting vulnerable communities through robust social safety nets was underscored as an urgent priority. Policymakers should treat targeted policy interventions as crucial for managing labour market transitions effectively and justly across affected sectors.

Key figure — Employment potential: climate adaptation investments could generate 150 million new jobs globally by 2050