The development of eco-friendly energy could produce 500,000 jobs in Mexico, according to the environmental watchdog group Greenpeace. The Greenpeace report, “Working for the Environment: Renewable Energy and the Green Job (R)evolution,” presented Nov. 17 in the Mexican capital, points to the use of solar energy to heat water, wind energy projects, and the utilization of biomass to generate electricity as sources of new jobs.

“For every job lost in the coal industry alone, three new jobs can be created in renewable energy,” said María Cárdenas, coordinator of Greenpeace's climate and energy campaign.

Just three percent of the electricity produced in Mexico comes from renewable sources, and the goal for 2012 is to reach six percent, although the country will continue to rely on fossil fuels.