Clean Energy Jobs
With the environment contest in Parliament House over the terms of the ETS playing out, I attended this morning in Canberra a symbolic protest outside of the dinosours’ office the Australian Coal Industry. Kim Sattler of Unions ACT and John Connor of the Climate Institute. One focus is clean energy jobs.
See the http://www.cleanenergyjobs.com.au/
The argument is that “There is a common solution to the economic crisis and the climate crisis – a clean energy boom that will create jobs today.
A recent CSIRO study indicates that 2.7 million jobs could be created in Australia over the next 15 years if we move to a cleaner, low carbon economy. Up to one million of these could be clean energy jobs using traditional skills in new industries like solar, wind, water and recycling.1
These are big numbers and big opportunities, but if we don’t take strong action on climate change and invest in clean energy jobs now, the economic opportunities will pass us by.
Germany created 76,000 new jobs in renewable energy (to reach a total of 236,000) in just two years between 2004 and 2006, underpinned by their strong renewable energy laws and complementary Green Skills programs.2
And although it’s known for car giants like BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, by 2020 Germany is projected to have more jobs in the field of environmental technologies than in its entire car industry. 3
We’re not talking niche jobs. Clean energy jobs include large scale, heavy industry jobs that exist now. It’s estimated that the renewable energy sector worldwide already employs 2.3 million people – more than the total number employed directly by the oil and gas industry. 4
The global ‘low carbon and environmental goods’ sector is now valued at A$6.1 trillion. 5
We can generate more jobs if we take strong action on climate change. But we have to be the leader now – with new technologies, jobs and industries – to win the race.
If you want Australia to invest in a clean energy boom that creates jobs today, take action!
Clean energy jobs creation depends on Australia moving forward over the coming weeks and months with strong climate policy both at home and on the international stage in Copenhagen this December.’
1. CSIRO, 2008; Green Gold Rush Report, 2008
2. http://www.bmu.de/
3. http://www.fco.gov.uk/
4. Ban Ki-moon, “Green growth is essential to any stimulus”, Financial Times, 17 February 2009.
5. Innovas, commissioned by the UK Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Regorm (2009), Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services: an industry
analysis, at page 5, see http://www.berr.gov.uk/
The Clean Energy Jobs website is an initiative of the Southern Cross Climate Coalition (SCCC), the World Wildlife Fund and Getup. The SCCC is made up of The Climate Institute, the Australian Council of Social Service, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
right to strike on the environment
