- The Guardian
- Issue #2021
The ACTU calls on the Albanese Government to quickly establish a national Energy Transition Authority tasked with ensuring that workers and their communities affected by the move to net zero emissions are fully supported, in a paper released today ahead of the Jobs Summit.
The report, “Secure Jobs for a Safer Climate,” shows how Australia’s energy transition has been chaotic to date. Twelve coal-fired power stations have closed in the past decade, in most cases leaving workers and communities devastated.
Yet with proper support, those workers can be the first in line to benefit from Australia becoming a renewable energy superpower, generating 395,000 secure and well-paid jobs and $89 billion in revenue by 2040 in export industries alone.
But as the report makes clear, this won’t happen without clear national leadership and a voice for workers at the table.
To realise this, the report recommends that the Albanese Government:
- Establish an independent and properly resourced national Energy Transition Authority to manage an orderly and fair transition process for affected workers – including supports for redeployment, skills and training, and secure jobs opportunities
- Develop a national renewables strategy, ensuring Australia becomes a renewable energy superpower with local industries, supply chains, and good unionised jobs
- Build a national disaster response capability that seeks to mitigate, prepare for, respond, and recover from extreme weather events
- Take a leading role in developing climate mitigation and adaption policies and programs
- Ensure that industries and households have access to reliable and affordable energy
- Reach a net-zero emissions public service by 2030, with full engagement of workers.
