I’ve complained a bit that Labor’s climate policy seems an incoherent mess. We now have some clarification points from Chris Bowen, on the 14th April? as described in an article in Renew Economy and described on his own website, which seems to be this talk/interview on youtube.
He starts saying “good climate policy is good jobs policy” and that the Government’s policy, driven by a fear of what they call “Negative globalism,” is “a sell out of our national interest.”
Australia is now operating and trading in a mid-century net zero environment. With over 120 countries, and 70% of our trading partners committed, that is just a fact.
Australia is the only developed country not committed to reaching net zero by 2050
This lack of framework will cost Australians jobs <especially if Mathias Corman cannot stop carbon tarifs>. But if we take the rest of the world seriously, then “Deloitte estimates over 250, 000 Australian jobs can be created.”
There are three ways to generate jobs “Energy generation, resources and manufacturing”. Climate change is not, as the government wants to portray it, and austerity measure. <We might note that the Coalition are often keen on austerity, when it affects the lowest income earners>
We don’t need less economic growth.
What we do need to do is cut the cord between economic growth and emissions….we are going to need to generate a lot more electricity, not less.
We need to electrify our passenger transport, and basically anything else capable of sensibly being transferred to electric power.
He then suggests that the areas which provided Australia with fossil fuels and electricity are the very areas which can take advantage of this situation and export clean energy. We can also export the minerals used in solar generation and battery storage.
To do this they propose $15 billion for a National Reconstruction Fund, and Rewiring the Nation (in partnership with the private sector).
And we’ve just announced a $200 million investment in 400 community batteries around the country, as well as providing tax cuts to incentivise electric vehicles and a commitment to develop Australia’s first electric vehicle strategy.
<So that problem is solved, it exists>
^^^
According to RenewEconomy he also said of the gas led recovery that: “It’s a slogan, it’s not a policy. It’s simply a fraud,… There’s not been one job created, and there won’t be a job created of this alleged gas fired recovery.” He also tried to reassure the gas industry:
Gas will continue to play a role in firming and peeking our grid as we transition to renewable energy. We need to massively increase the storage in our grid through batteries, pumped hydro and hydrogen, which have various levels of development… But that’s going to take time. And there’s varying views are around about how long that will take or indeed what role gas will play as we do that, but that is the role of gas
While Labor saw a continued role for gas, he said he would need to be “very convinced” on the need for taxpayer subsidies for new gas infrastructure.
I think you’ll see a much stronger emphasis from the Labor Party on the economic opportunities of climate change. I refuse to accept this false trade-off that the conservatives peddle at every election that somehow ambitious action on climate change comes at a cost to the economy… We don’t win that argument during an election campaign. We’ve got to win that argument now and every day between the election and including the election campaign
The only targets discussed were 2050 targets.
I could announce wonderful targets for 2030. But unless we have outlined policies underneath it to get there, it’s going to be pretty meaningless. So we need to be doing the roadmap, the strong roadmap, and I am committed to providing that to Australian people before the next election, as well as the policy levers which underpin that roadmap
I don’t know if he said anything about continuing coal exports and opening new mines, which seems so important to their electoral ambitions in the Upper Hunter….
This talk was to people attending an Australia Institute forum. So may be he was tempted to be a bit more explicit than normal, or perhaps he was just speaking to his audience.
In an article predicting a speech by Labor leader Anthony Albanese, The Guardian reports that Albanese ‘will say’:
For more than 20 years, the Liberals and Nationals have rejected scientific advice and chosen to portray the rise of clean energy as a threat to jobs and exports… At their worst, they have deliberately misled Australians, pretending we can ignore change, even as it happens right before our eyes….
Murphy Australia must stop wasting time and shift to renewable energy to spark job creation, Albanese says. The Guardian 14 April 2021
He will argue that Australia cannot afford to keep delaying a transition with “huge potential” to create hundreds of thousands of secure, well-paid jobs for “today’s Australians and for future generations.” ““Low-cost renewable electricity looms as the key to unlocking jobs growth for decades to come,” and this will require new grids.
“We have the technology. We have the best natural resources in the world. We have an opportunity to act now to secure a better future for ourselves and our children. We must seize the day.”
Murphy Australia must stop wasting time and shift to renewable energy to spark job creation, Albanese says. The Guardian 14 April 2021
However,
The Labor leader will say Australia will continue to export carbon-intensive commodities such as coal “based on global demand” and that the opposition “respects” traditional industries for the jobs they create.
Murphy Australia must stop wasting time and shift to renewable energy to spark job creation, Albanese says. The Guardian 14 April 2021
This is better than saying they will expand coal and gas…. but it seems clear that they will help satisfy global demand, rather than get out of the market.
Tags: politics
Climate, technology and chaos Blog 
Leave a comment