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- A new report put together by the Climate Council and economic advisory firm AlphaBeta claims 76,000 Australian jobs could be created through clean energy and environmental policies
- The jobs will be spread across renewable energy, waste collection and processing, ecosystem restoration, construction, and more
- Importantly, roughly a third of the jobs will require minimal training and can be taken on by Australians from any background
- The report said along with the economic devastation from the virus comes a “unique opportunity” to rebuild a low-emissions post-COVID economy
- Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie said the plan is a win-win solution by both tackling job creation and climate change issues
A new report put together by the Climate Council and economic advisory firm AlphaBeta claims 76,000 Australian jobs could be created through clean energy and environmental policies.
Getting Australians back to work is at the forefront of the report’s pitch for the Clean Jobs Plan. Large-scale renewable energy upgrades, ecosystem restoration, and organic waste collection and processing is just an added bonus.
The report highlighted the 838,000 jobs lost since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis but said along with the economic devastation from the virus comes a “unique opportunity” to rebuild a low-emissions post-COVID economy.
The report claims that the Federal Government’s stimulus measures to curb the effect of the coronavirus, while helpful, are not enough. A stimulus package that focusses on the creation of clean jobs is pivotal is supporting economic recovery, the report said.
Importantly, the Climate Council and AlphaBeta said the Clean Jobs Plan provides excellent bang-for-buck as far as economic recovery programs go. The plan focusses on maximising the value of public investment and providing jobs that almost any Aussie can step into — regardless of their background.
“Analysis reveals that the Clean Jobs Plan is as cost-effective as, or better than, similar Australian economic recovery programs.”
The Climate Council and AlphaBeta, July 2020
Where will the jobs go?
The jobs modelling suggests 15,000 jobs will go towards installing utility-scale renewable energy across the country, including wind farms, transmission infrastructure, and utility-scale batteries. 12,000 jobs will be created in targeted ecosystem restoration, of which 5000 will be in Queensland.
Public transport construction and upgrading will account for another 12,000 jobs, with the remaining 37,000 allocated to projects like organic waste, energy efficiency in buildings, urban green spaces, and more.
This means roughly one-third of jobs will require either on-the-job training or under 12 months of formal training, meaning they are perfect for displaced workers from industries like hospitality and tourism who are struggling to get back on their feet. Around 70 per cent of jobs under the Clean Jobs Plan are in construction and logistics services, where around 80,000 jobs have been lost in the pandemic so far.
Regional Australia is primed to benefit substantially from the program, with more than 40 per cent of job opportunities located in regional parts of the country.
AlphaBeta Director Andrew Charlton said the Clean Jobs Plan is designed to create jobs fast and where they are needed most.
“The job creation could start immediately and continue over three years. Federal, state and territory governments all have the opportunity to put these measures in train,” Andrew said.
“Australia has seen steep job losses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But with the right policy measures, thousands of jobs could be created in large-scale renewable energy, ecosystem restoration and the collection and processing of organic waste,” he said.
Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie said the plan is unique because of the speed it can get people back to work.
“It puts us on a practical, jobs-rich path and focuses on areas most in need,” Amanda said.
“It sets us up for the future, by creating jobs and tackling climate change. It’s a win-win solution.”
