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VANCOUVER — New research says the green building sector is creating jobs in British Columbia.

The Pembina Institute says there are 31,700 people employed in the sector, up from the 23,200 who were counted when its map of green buildings was launched in 2015.

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It says the growth in the number of jobs is mostly because of larger projects.

The map says there are more than 20,000 energy-efficient homes and buildings in B.C., with more than 750 of them built in the past two years.

The institute says the number of jobs associated with energy-efficiency retrofits for existing buildings declined by one-third over the same period, which can partly be attributed to the end of the LiveSmart B.C. rebate program for homeowners in 2014.

It says the province’s new NDP government should bring in programs that accelerate the upgrading of existing homes and buildings, and encourage the construction of low-carbon, energy-efficient buildings.

“We are building our way to the clean growth economy in B.C. Along the way, we’ll create jobs, save energy and money, curb carbon pollution, and protect the climate,” said Karen Tam Wu, acting B.C. director of the Pembina Institute, a non-profit environmental think tank.

“Investing in energy-efficient homes and buildings is a no-brainer. B.C. needs a renewed government commitment to retrofits for existing buildings.”