Victoria‘s accelerated renewable energy and carbon reduction targets highlight the urgent need for a national Energy Transition Authority, according to the Mining and Energy Union (MEU).
In a statement, MEU said the establishment of a national Energy Transition Authority aims to assist workers and communities affected by rapid economic change.
MEU General President Tony Maher said the announcement made today in Victoria was merely the most recent in a string of events that have affected the timeline for the shutdown of coal-fired power plants across the nation.
Maher stated that State Governments and industry are making decisions about emissions reduction, which will profoundly affect communities in the years and decades to come.
“The scale and complexity of the change can’t be left to businesses and to states to manage alone. We need an overarching plan to co-ordinate closures, drive real industry diversification in energy regions and develop industry-wide schemes to support workers through this profound technological and economic change,” Maher added.
According to him, every other week, new announcements regarding industry change and carbon reduction are made, highlighting the need for a genuine, national policy response.
“The workers and communities have powered Australia for decades deserve a place at the centre of policy-making at this time of rapid change. Announcements about job creation must be underpinned by genuine planning and commitment to ensure that affected workers in regions like the Latrobe Valley have a pathway into future employment,” Maher said.
Maher added that a national Energy Transition Authority should be established as the next phase so it can collaborate with local, state, and federal agencies to plan and promote a just and orderly transition.
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