The Million Jobs Plan The Million Jobs Plan A unique opportunity to demonstrate the growth and employment potential of investing in a low-carbon economy Published by Beyond Zero Emissions Inc. Ross House, Suite 4.7, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Victoria 3000 First published June 2020 The Million Jobs Plan: A unique opportunity to demonstrate the growth and employment potential of investing in a low-carbon economy should be attributed to Beyond Zero Emissions. This publication is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License. In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work and abide by the other license terms. To view a copy of this licence, visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0 Graphic Design by Wide Open Co. This document is available for download from http://bze.org.au Requests and inquiries should be directed to [email protected] Recognition of traditional custodians We recognise that Aboriginal people’s sovereignty over their land was never ceded and the impact of this ongoing dispossession continues to this day. Beyond Zero Emissions stands in solidarity with First Nations people in calling for the establishment of a First Nations Voice in the Constitution, as described in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We further support calls for the establishment of a Makarrata Commission on agreement-making and truth-telling between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and governments. Beyond Zero Emissions maintains an office on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri-willam people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to all First Nations Elders past, present and those emerging. The Million Jobs Plan A unique opportunity to demonstrate the growth and employment potential of investing in a low-carbon economy The Million Jobs Plan can rebuild Australia’s Economy In just 5yrs in regions & renewables + communites low emissions these are projects needed can deliver... 1.8m most new jobs 90GW 2.5m 20,000 renewable energy retrofits electric buses + transmission + new buildings + new green transport 200k 940k 140k JOBS JOBS JOBS Clean 27MHA 90% manufacturing land waste + mining regeneration recycled 230k 200k 80k JOBS JOBS JOBS + 10,000 new jobs in Training, Education and Research Aordable Reducing Strengthen Reliable Cost of Regional Clean Energy Living Communities 2 Contents Acknowledgments 4 Executive Summary 5 Economic analysis of The Million Jobs Plan 10 Renewable Energy 13 Land Use 71 Australia as a renewable energy superpower 14 Land revegetation 72 Accelerating deployment of large-scale Regenerative agriculture 76 renewable energy 16 Blue carbon – Coastal wetlands and Better Buildings 27 Riparian zones 78 Better Australian homes 28 Kelp farming 78 Building energy-efficient social housing 35 Indigenous land and water rangers 78 Manufacturing & Mining 41 Education Training & Research 81 Manufacturing in Australia 42 Investing in a skilled workforce 82 Electrifying industry 45 Education and training 83 Renewable hydrogen 47 Research and development 86 Zero-emissions steel 48 Zero Carbon Communities 89 Green aluminium 49 Zero Carbon Community initiatives in The Million Jobs Plan 90 New energy metals 50 About Zero Carbon Communities 92 Electrifying mining 52 Hunter Case Study 101 Transport 55 The Hunter Project – a two-year journey 103 Electric buses 56 Case Study 1 104 Electric trains 59 Case Study 2 106 Cycling 62 Case Study 3 108 Resource Recovery 65 Case Study 4 110 Recovering resources 66 Case Study 5 112 Waste infrastructure investment 66 A narrative from the future 114 Establishing markets for recycled materials 67 3 Acknowledgments BZE Funding Partners Organisations ACME Foundation Alinga Energy Consulting Indigenous Carbon Industry Annie & Mike Cannon-Brookes Arup Network Equity Trustees Australian Environmental Indigenous Energy Australia James Kirby Foundation Lending Ironbark Lenko Family Foundation Australian Council of PSC Social Services Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation SwitchDin Boston Metal McKinnon Family Foundation Tesla Climate Justice Union Olsvik The EcoEfficiency Group Finding Infinity Robin Friday Tritium Gemilang Australia The Hamer Family Fund Vecor Greenfleet The Mullum Trust Volgren The NR Peace & Justice Fund The Pace Foundation Communities WWF Many community groups have contributed data, including: Private donors Ballarat Renewable Energy Hepburn Z-Net and Zero Emissions KnoxCAN Banyule Clean Energy Northern Beaches Climate Project Leadership Group Action Network Baw Baw Sustainability Strategic oversight Renewable Energy Benalla Network Eytan Lenko The Goulburn Group Bulimba Creek Catchment Transition Gawler Coordinating Committee Project Lead WinZero BZE Hunter Chapter Heidi Lee Zero Carbon Lake Climate Action Hobart Macquarie Lead Researcher Energy Transformation Zero Carbon Newcastle Michael Lord Association for the Kimberley (ETAK) Zero Emissions Byron Senior Researchers Friends of Lorne Zero Emissions Sydney Dr Heidi Edmonds, Dr Dominique Hes North Geelong Sustainability Z-Net Uralla Gold Coast Climate Action Network Contributors Tara Bergin Ross Harding Aimee Mehan Madeline Townsend Sabina Bertuzzi John Hayes Sam Mella Tony Voyage Prof Justin Borevitz Ruby Heard Bradley Moggridge Kyle Walbeck Madeleine Brennan Imogen Jubb Scarlett Nelson Melissa Wellham Imogen Butler Christian Keel Chiara Paolini Molly Williams Meky Chen Kourosh Keshavarz Kyle Robertson Kelvin Wicks Nicki Colls Ben Landsberg Matt Robinson Kate Witherby Michael Copsey Jaime Laird Rob Rowe Dr Natasha Deen Lea Lewin Will Sandover Emily Dickson Nicole Lloyd Dr John Shiel Mark Diesendorf Julie Lovell Nigel Stace Michael Frangos Callam Manning Stephen Tansing Chris Grose Bronwyn Maelzer Joey Teo 4 Executive Summary Political and business leaders across the world have Australia at the crossroads affirmed the merits of a low-carbon recovery from the current crisis (Box 2). The proposals in this plan, Australia has suffered an unprecedented economic in sectors such as renewable energy, buildings, shock in 2020. The economy is in recession for the transport and manufacturing would generate more first time in almost three decades and the 7% fall than one million new jobs, reversing the losses from in GDP in the June quarter was by far the largest COVID-19 in the first half of 2020. since the Great Depression. Federal and state governments have resorted to unprecedented fiscal Many of these proposals can create jobs quickly measures in an attempt to stabilise the economy. because they are already planned. Realising these Even so, it is anticipated that over one million opportunities means bringing forward public or Australians could lose their jobs by the end of 2020. private investment that would have happened anyway. As well as creating new jobs, these To reboot the economy, further stimulus opportunities will have many lasting benefits such measures will be necessary. This presents a unique as revitalising Australian manufacturing, creating opportunity to lay the foundations for a globally- regional jobs and improving air quality. competitive Australian economy fit for 21st century challenges. The Million Jobs Plan demonstrates the "Every dollar we invest in energy, should be a enormous employment potential of investing in dollar towards a lower carbon economy.” clean, low-carbon technologies. — Business Council of Australia1 The Million Jobs Plan has been delivered in consultation with dozens of organisations and "It's very important that we put policies in individuals from across Australia. Project Advisors place that help to create jobs and stimulate a (Box 1) from business, government, community and clean energy transition." industry have steered the process and supported this work. — ­­ Fatih Birol, Exec Director, International Energy Agency2 Box 1: Project Advisors for The Million Jobs Plan z Monica Bradley z John Grimes z James Tilbury z John Connor z Anne Hellstedt z Danny Touma z Simon Corbell z Justine Jarvinen z Malcolm Turnbull z Richard Denniss z Katerina Kimmorley z Phil Vernon z Ross Garnaut z Caroline Pidcock z Martijn Wilder z Paul Gilding z Alexie Seller z Jaime Yallup Farrant z Roy Green z Cristina Talacko 5 Project areas Figure 1 summarises the opportunities in this report Better transport and the jobs they could generate. These are new jobs created within a five-year period starting in the Electric transport is cleaner, quieter and less financial year 2020-21. These proposals also offer polluting than petrol or diesel equivalents. It long-term employment benefits, as several sectors, also has lower running costs. This plan proposes such as green steel, have the potential to become introducing 18,000 electric public transport buses much larger industries over a longer period. to Australia’s streets, as well as electrifying 3000 kilometres of existing railways. This would employ Renewable energy thousands of people, particularly in the manufacture of trains and buses. We also recommend creating or Few places in the world can match Australia’s improving 5,000 kilometres of cycle lanes, as part extraordinary potential to generate renewable of a program to promote cycling. Together these energy. There is little doubt that in a decarbonising transport initiatives would create 138,000 jobs. world, this gives Australia a crucial energy-cost advantage. Many of the opportunities in this Manufacturing report rely on Australia’s abundance of renewable resources. Australia can once again become a strong manufacturing nation.