UNION WIN! An Energy transition Authority after over a decade of campaigning

After over a decade of campaigning from the grassroots up, we finally have a budget that invests in a just transition for workers and their communities on the road to net zero emissions.

A National Net Zero Authority

A new energy transition authority —called the National Net Zero Authority —is charged with delivering a just transition to a net zero emissions economy and ensuring no worker or community is left behind.

The new legislated Net Zero Authority will:

  • Support workers in emissions-intensive sectors to access new employment, skills and support as the net zero transformation continues.
  • Coordinate programs and policies across government to support regions and communities to attract and take advantage of new clean energy industries and set those industries up for success.
  • Help investors and companies to engage with net zero transformation opportunities.

This will ensure the communities that have been keeping the lights on in Australia for generations can build on that proud legacy by helping power the nation’s transition to a net zero future.

Congratulations to all members who have taken part in this campaign. This victory marks the culmination of more than a decade of campaigning from the union movement, with unions like the ETU representing coal-fired power workers leading the charge and building support across community, business, investors and climate organisations.

Of course, now is not the time to ease up the pressure from the union movement. The Net Zero Authority will require considerable input from the union movement through the design phase commencing this year to ensure we get the best possible outcomes for workers, as well as to make sure the Government follows through with legislating it as an independent body.

Design by Eimear O’Sullivan

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This article was publised on 18 May 2023.