Everyone loses when we sideline the people at the forefront of the transition to a zero emissions economy
After the shocking – for some – results of the federal election were revealed
on Saturday night, it didn’t take long for hashtags such as #Quexit and
#MakeThemLeave to start trending on social media, calling for
Queensland to be kicked out of Australia.
Whether people were rooting for Labor for climate-related reasons or otherwise, many unleashed their anger on regional electorates that delivered huge swings away from Labor, and that are home to some of Australia’s largest coal mines.
But while it is easy to dismiss these voters as ill-informed, coal-addicted bogans who don’t care about the climate crisis, the reality behind the political and economic priorities of Australia’s coal communities is more complex.
I have spent the past five years working in coal regions across
Australia, from the Latrobe Valley and the Hunter region to the heart of
Adani country in central and northern Queensland, helping people understand what a transition from fossil fuels to a zero emissions economy looks like.Whether people were rooting for Labor for climate-related reasons or otherwise, many unleashed their anger on regional electorates that delivered huge swings away from Labor, and that are home to some of Australia’s largest coal mines.
But while it is easy to dismiss these voters as ill-informed, coal-addicted bogans who don’t care about the climate crisis, the reality behind the political and economic priorities of Australia’s coal communities is more complex.
To be clear, a just transition does not mean a direct shift from coal to renewable energy jobs. This is about taking advantage of the new job creation and investment opportunities in shifting to low-carbon solutions across all sectors – energy, land use and agriculture, construction, transport, waste and manufacturing.
My experience shows that the biggest myth that needs busting is the notion that coal communities aren’t interested in or aware of this transition. This is simply not true – everywhere we have worked, people have been interested in and even enthusiastic about the transition and its potential to create new jobs and attract investment.
People know that regional economies need to become more diversified and resilient in the face of increasingly urgent pressures ranging from ageing populations to the impact of the “gig economy” and more frequent natural disasters.
They see large-scale renewable energy projects being rolled out across their regions, and they are curious about how the new low-carbon economy can deliver for regional Australia.
But – and there is always a “but” – virtually every coal-dependent community faces the same challenges that are stopping many decision makers from publicly backing the transition, even when they believe that more action is needed.
First, regions have been doing it tough economically for the last decade. They are understandably reluctant to sacrifice existing industries that have jobs available in the here and now in favour of investing in new projects they are unsure of.
Second, in the polarised and politicised debates around coal and energy, people are scared to come out in support of a transition beyond fossil fuels, to the point that some fear their jobs are on the line if they speak up for something other than coal.
This isn’t helped by the failure by all to acknowledge the contribution coal has made to our economy. Instead of moving to the future with a sense of respect and pride for what they have contributed to the nation, the rush to renewables has left some workers feeling disrespected and under attack by “outsiders”.
Finally, people tell me they feel abandoned by the government and don’t trust the main parties to hold fast to their promises. For an untrusting electorate, it makes more sense to stay with what you know than take a risk on the unknown.
Some local governments have tried to push past these challenges and take the concept of transition planning further, but they are constrained by tight budgets and political divisions. External funding is also scarce because too many philanthropists are happy to leave regional economic development to governments, instead preferring to fund high-profile campaigns like Stop Adani.
Frontline action is undoubtedly important, but everyone loses when we ignore the effort to build positive alternatives and when we sideline the people at the forefront of the transition.
The good news is that the transition is not just inevitable, it is already happening. All around the country, state and local governments and industry are backing and building renewable energy projects. Even more exciting are the community energy projects that are proliferating across the country, keeping profits within the regions.
New waste and transport initiatives that will lower our emissions are being explored out of necessity. And where coal closures are already starting to happen, we are seeing a swathe of new economic initiatives popping up like the SEA Electric plan to build an electric vehicle factory in the Latrobe Valley Authority.
So how do we turn things around for coal communities that are still struggling to transition?
The only way we’re going to effectively deliver the two seemingly competing objectives of strong climate action and secure livelihoods is to deepen our engagement with regional communities – not just coal workers, but also farmers, local business owners and First Nations groups.
Advocates need to work with communities to tease out the complexities of a just transition, and co-create the constructive solutions that we urgently need.
Philanthropists and impact investors need to consider funding more solutions focussed, regional initiatives, and governments need to step up on allocating the resources needed to make the concept of a just transition a reality.
And as for the rest of us?
Let’s save our anger for the vested interests who block meaningful climate action, renewable energy uptake, and who perpetuate harmful, polarising untruths in the media – not the ordinary Australians who, like most of us, are just trying to do the best they can for their families.
- Dr Amanda Cahill is the chief executive of the Next Economy and is an associate at the University of Queensland and the Sydney Policy Lab
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