Regional Energy Transitions in Australia

“Australia’s energy transition is uniquely fascinating: cheap renewables are taking over a coal dominated system, and the prospect of declining fossil fuel exports is set against the allure of future clean energy exports. These changes create complex dynamics at the regional level. Written by academics who engage at the ‘coalface’ and practitioners, this collection presents a unique set of insights into how energy transition can be achieved at the regional level.” Frank Jotzo, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University; Head of Energy, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions “From ‘impossible to possible’ is a testament to hope and tenacity. Despite the climate wars that have held Australia back, this book shows the progress possible with the power of community and place based development. The lessons learned from these regions demonstrates that the support of and co-creation with workers and community along with Government support make the difference. Valuable reading.” Sharan Burrow, former General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation “As a non-academic operating at the interface of research and policy I must admit that I like this book a lot. It is deeply anchored in evidence, yet relatively easy to read. It talks about general trends but also dives deeply into relevant case studies. And more importantly, it does not talk about prehistoric cases, rather focusing on the past 15 years – a period most readers can actually still remember! As an advocate of fossil fuel transition based in Europe I am also very pleased to have a thorough piece on Australia. Understanding of Australia’s transition in Europe (and also in the Americas and Africa) is largely anecdotal and patchy – so a freshly written comprehensive piece is very much needed. We are now at a critical stage of the global energy transition. Many jurisdictions have analysed and engaged on various options for that transition. But we still lack a global exchange of well documented regional cases where one can follow the entire journey, understand the drivers and impacts and see both the national and regional contexts. Regional energy transitions in Australia: from impossible to possible does precisely that for Australia and I hope it will be followed by studies on other jurisdictions.” Andrzej Błachowicz, CEO, Climate Strategies “People decarbonise society, not technology. This book puts people into the picture, charting region-level experiences across Australia. It gives us a grounded understanding of what works, what doesn’t, and why. It makes an appeal for participatory planning against top-down imposition, and puts widespread public support for renewables at the centre of energy policy. The book is a vital antidote to current technocratic and neo-liberal approaches that exclude the public and make transition vulnerable to the fossil fuel lobby. That antidote is urgent and necessary, and not just in Australia, as governments across the globe face a backlash against corporate renewables and big ‘green’ capital.” James Goodman, Professor of Political Sociology and director of the Climate Justice Research Centre, University of Technology Sydney “As the IPCC has again recently confirmed, limiting global warming to close to 1.5 degrees requires a rapid shift away from unabated coal consumption. This book provides a valuable contribution to this increasingly urgent task by exploring learning from Australia (a major coal producer and exporter) about the development and implementation of equitable policies for accelerating the phase out of coal.” Jan Minx, Head of Working Group on Applied Sustainability Science, Mercator Research Centre on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin “This book offers a timely perspective on early Australian experiences in the transition away from fossil fuels, an imperative in the global response to climate change. The book is an insightful collection examining regional transition processes and responses which highlights emerging lessons that can inform responses by government and other actors as they embark on the complex process of successful transition both in Australia and elsewhere. A unique selling point is the combination of academic and real world analysis by those involved in the transitions on the ground, making a valuable contribution to the just transition and economic development literature and also offering practical insights for other coal regions where regional transformation remains a pressing issue. Case studies link the local specifics of place with emerging themes across different regions, and the political and socio-economic dynamics will resonate with those involved in coal transitions across the world. A must-read for those interested in seeing how different social actors, political economy, and socio-economics intertwine to shape transition in coal dependent regions.” Jesse Burton, Senior Researcher, Energy Systems Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cape Town “Australia is a key actor in the global climate debate. As a fossil fuel producer, exporter and a country highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, what happens in Australia has global implications. This new volume sheds invaluable light on energy transitions unfolding at pace across five key regions of the country, showing both how and why change is possible. Accessibly written, empirically rich and policy relevant, this accomplished set of authors has done a great service in exploring how rapid and just transitions to renewable energy are possible even in the face of fierce resistance and powerful vested interests. It deserves to be widely read by policymakers, activists and academics alike.” Peter Newell, Sussex University, author of Power Shift “This concise and compelling book tells the stories of energy transitions underway in politically challenging contexts across regional Australia. With its long history of contested climate politics, Australia has always provided a key and critical lens through which to understand the dynamics of social and economic struggles to move beyond fossil fuels. Exploring the drivers and constraints, opportunities and challenges faced as diverse regions and communities attempt to foster just transitions, this book provides thought-provoking analysis for all of those interested in how we can make just energy transitions a reality.” Harriet Bulkeley, Department of Geography, Durham University and Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University “Regional Energy Transitions in Australia: From Impossible to Possible is superb! The case studies included in this book provide critical insights and highlight pragmatic lessons learned for a just energy and economic transition that are relevant not only to Australian communities dealing with these changes, but to communities around the globe.” Heidi Binko, CEO & Co-Founder, The Just Transition Fund