47,570 full-time jobs a year would be created in Queensland under the Greens plan to rapidly transform Australia’s energy system to renewables by 2030.
Greens energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said: “coal is the world’s biggest cause of climate change and Australia is the world’s biggest exporter of coal with 80 per cent of what we dig up being sent overseas to be burned. Unless we phase out coal, we can’t deal with climate change and the Greens are the only party to have a plan to do it.”
Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters said Queenslanders needed and deserved real jobs that last – not fake jobs and false promises like those made by Adani – which the Greens Renew Australia 2030 plan would deliver.
“We’ll build a clean energy export industry to replace the dying coal industry which will create jobs right here in Queensland. Our fully-costed plan will take our energy system from one of the oldest and dirtiest in the world, to one of the cleanest and smartest.
“We’ll support coal workers and their communities with a $1billion transition fund to ensure no Queenslander is left behind. Our plan will also lower energy costs for households and businesses and drive fossil fuels out of the economy.
“Right now, giant, multinational coal and gas companies are extracting our resources for free, polluting local environments and paying no tax. They get away with it because the Liberal and Labor governments take their dirty political donations – $5million over the last four years – and then do their bidding at the expense of everyone else and the planet.
“The world economy is changing and it’s time to turf the coal huggers out and for Australia to become the renewable energy superpower the global market is ready for.”
The climate and energy plan includes:
- 100% renewables by 2030 including support for households and business solar and batteries and the establishment of renewable energy zones
- A new public energy retailer Power Australia and re-regulation of electricity prices
- Phasing out the burning and export of thermal coal supported by a $1 billion transition plan for workers
- The building of a solar export industry based on hydrogen and direct exports to Asia
- Doubling energy productivity and a reduction in pollution across the economy driven by industry programs, a energy efficiency target and a carbon price
- A shift to electric cars with the phase-out of petrol car sales
- Support for farmers to drawdown carbon in the land
The plan will create 180,000 new jobs nationally and drive Australia towards zero-net emissions by 2040.
Read the full plan: greens.org.au/platform/renewables#repower