CLIMATE COUNCIL
A state of vulnerability Beautiful one day… ravaged the next THINK OF QUEENSLAND and perhaps you picture pristine beaches, palm fringed islands and blue skies … or else a dying reef and a parched landscape? One thing is clear, the state is one of extremes: Queenslanders are on the frontline of climate change and extreme weather impacts. Queensland bore 60 per cent of the total economic costs of Australia’s extreme weather – drought, bushfires, heatwaves, floods and cyclones – in the decade from 2007 to 2016, says the Climate Council. Right now, almost two-thirds of Queensland is drought declared and, on an ominous note, more than 80 per cent of damages resulting from rising sea levels and storm surges in Australia are forecast to occur in the state that depends on tourism and agriculture. The Climate Council’s latest report Welcome to Queensland: Renewable One Day, and the Next, and Next… lists the threats facing Queensland before delving into the economic opportunities that await the state should it transition to a clean energy economy. “Queensland needs strong local, national and international climate change action to reduce its vulnerability,” the report comments. On the upside, one-third of all households have rooftop solar and Queensland currently boasts more than 5,000 jobs in the renewables sector, the highest of any state or territory, with more large-scale solar projects under construction than any other state or territory. Projects in the pipeline will create another 4,500 jobs in the state and deliver almost $10 billion in investment. North and central Queensland are home to six of the state’s ten renewable energy projects under construction, and solar is supplying
Almost two-thirds of Queensland is drought declared
“
Queensland has much to lose or much to gain, depending on the path that it takes into the future.
50 SPRING 2019
“
More than 80 per cent of damages resulting from rising sea levels and storm surges in Australia are forecast to occur in Queensland.
Magnificent Queensland: a mecca for tourists but for how much longer? one-third of the electricity needs of Townsville’s Sun Metals zinc refinery, supporting 450 new local jobs. “However, more needs to be done to unlock the enormous renewable potential and associated growth in jobs and economic opportunities. Queensland has much to lose or much to gain, depending on the path that it takes into the future,” the report says.
The black matter With the impending closure of thermal coal plants, the Climate Council is calling on communities, government, industry and unions to develop a plan to help coal mine workers find alternative, rewarding jobs. “It is clear that the burning of fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – must be phased out rapidly to avoid the worst impacts of climate change … mining and burning the thermal coal in the Galilee Basin and other such deposits around the world would make the Paris target impossible to achieve. “Global warming of 2˚C would sign the death warrant of the Great Barrier Reef, a multi-billion-dollar asset supporting 64,000 Australian jobs.” Read the full report at www.climatecouncil.org.au ‘Welcome to Queensland: Renewable one day, and the next, and next ...’, authors: Will Steffen, Hilary Bambrick, Karen Hussey, Joelle Gergis, Greg Bourne, Louis Brailsford and Annika Dean. The Climate Council is an independent, crowd-funded organisation providing quality information on climate change to the Australian public.
