According to The Guardian, as the world recovers from COVID-19, Australia has the opportunity to shed its status as a climate slacker for more than a decade and catch up with the pace of green energy development.
Across the entire political spectrum, people around the world are trying to accelerate economic recovery while simultaneously addressing the climate challenge. This sentiment is shared not only by environmental and conservation groups, but also by industry, banks, energy companies, labor unions, and major investors.
Governments worldwide have expressed their support for green revitalization, as have major commercial energy giants.
In late April, at the annual Petersburg Climate Conference, International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva made it clear to leaders of 30 countries that the economic collapse caused by the public health crisis and large-scale lockdowns does not mean we should pause our response to the climate crisis.
The German government has called for recovery plans to invest in future-proof efforts, such as emissions reductions, rather than a return to the past. The UK has proposed accelerating the adoption of green technologies, saying it could have a profound impact on "the future sustainability, resilience, and ultimately well-being of society." Governments such as Pakistan, Portugal, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates have endorsed the idea of a green stimulus, as have major commercial energy companies like BP and Shell. The World Bank has also published a series of articles on its blog offering suggestions for a green stimulus.
Many funds also support this position. A global investor group responsible for more than $55 billion in assets warned the government to avoid focusing resources on short-term, high-emission projects when investing in green recovery plans, and to help create jobs while improving areas such as air quality, where the monetary value is less obvious.
Australia hosts two online summits related to green revitalization, attracting thousands of participants.
In Australia, discussions of a green revitalization are less urgent than elsewhere, perhaps reflecting the country's notorious climate politics and a media focus on climate change unless it's tied to political battles.
But last week, things began to change. Industry groups the Smart Energy Council and the Clean Energy Council each hosted online summits on green revitalization solutions, attracting thousands of attendees. In two sessions, Innes Willox, CEO of the Australian Industry Group, stated that post-COVID-19 economic recovery and net-zero emissions are overlapping issues that should be addressed together to foster growth.
As renewable energy is currently the cheapest investment opportunity, AIG and numerous Australian interest groups, research organizations, and experts are studying how to achieve a green revitalization. In addition, both summits were attended by state and capital city leaders, energy ministers, or representatives from state-owned clean energy agencies. Queensland representative Annastacia Palaszczuk discussed the potential for developing the battery manufacturing industry and claimed that green hydrogen resources will eventually surpass the state's liquefied natural gas exports. South Australian Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan praised his predecessor, also a Labor Party minister, for helping the state become a world leader in renewable energy generation and expressed his hope that the state will use 100% clean electricity by 2030.
New South Wales Liberal Party member Matt Kean said that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government is considering how its electricity strategy and net-zero emissions plan can be integrated with economic revitalization. The Tasmanian Liberal government is moving even faster, having released a draft renewable energy action plan aiming for 200% renewable energy generation by 2040, a target that reveals its ambition for large-scale clean energy exports.
Australian Prime Minister Morrison and the federal government have not yet taken renewable energy and zero-emission targets into consideration.
The state governments have not completely changed their past stance. For example, Queensland has quietly announced a series of support plans for the oil and gas industry. However, they all see the opportunities in clean energy and have the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The federal government has been disinterested and has not participated in any of the summits. It supports pumped hydro storage and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, a green bank, but lacks a net-zero emissions target, while also promoting natural gas-based fossil fuel recycling. The Covid-19 coordination committee convened by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, chaired by former mining executive Nev Power, appears to be focused on gas, without considering compliance with the Paris Agreement's net-zero emissions target.
Beyond Zero, a group dedicated to researching Australia's green revitalization, is planning a "million-job plan" that it says could turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower. Beyond Zero's interim CEO, Eytan Lenko, said the nationwide "deep energy retrofit" program, starting with social housing, low-income homes, schools, and hospitals, would improve the efficiency of three million buildings, eliminating the need to pay for electricity or gas, potentially creating 300,000 jobs.
Beyond Zero is exploring ways to expand clean manufacturing, switch mining and transport to clean energy, fix Australia’s failing recycling system, and achieve 100% material recycling. Another nonprofit, ClimateWorks, recently pointed out that Australia can achieve net-zero emissions and published a vision on how to use existing technologies to achieve this by 2035.
Research by the Australian public policy think tank Grattan Institute shows that developing a green steel industry could create 25,000 jobs in current coal mining areas, potentially providing a path for workers affected by international emissions reduction measures.
Source: SME Green Environmental Protection Information Network
