The Climate Council has released a new report revealing Queensland’s untapped renewable energy potential, credited to its abundant natural resources, skilled workforce and industry base.
In a report titled Australia’s Clean Engine Room: Central Queensland’s Industrial Future, the Climate Council details the potential for Queensland to become a global leader in renewable energy production.
The study found evidence that:
- Central Queensland has the abundant natural resources, skilled workforce and existing industry base to be a leader in renewable energy and clean industry
- Investing in the development of renewables and clean industries is an investment in Central Queensland and its communities
- Central Queenslanders are ready to lead this economic transformation, but need government leadership and support to take full advantage of the opportunities
The report also indicates that local understanding and support for a shift towards decarbonisation has risen dramatically in recent years.
Until early 2021, at least half of the participants in regional forums hosted by The Next Economy, an organisation that works with communities, governments and industry to build regional economies, expressed some scepticism about the need to plan for the decline of fossil fuel use.
By the end of 2021, the overwhelming majority were acknowledging that fossil fuel use would eventually be phased out and that Australia is shifting to renewable energy.
Today, more than half of the residents in the seat of Flynn, which includes the towns of Gladstone and Emerald, want the government to prioritise investment in renewable and clean industries over coal and gas, according to recent YouGov polling commissioned by the Climate Council.
The same poll showed fewer than one in five people under the age of 35 want the government to prioritise investment in coal and gas.
Read Australia’s Clean Engine Room: Central Queensland’s Industrial Future report in full at this link.
