Federal election 22: Expert says net zero targets will cost jobs, despite climate change key concern

Climate change has been a key election battleground, but a top expert says hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost under the net zero policies.

AUSTRALIANS will lose hundreds of thousands of jobs as a result of net zero policies, despite climate change being a key concern for voters in the election, a News Corp environment debate heard.

The Institute of Public Affairs‘ Director of Research Daniel Wild said the net zero emissions by 2050 target, supported by both major parties, will inflict irreparable economic and “humanitarian damage”.

Speaking in a roundtable discussion hosted by Joe Hildebrand on Thursday night, Mr Wild said for every one renewable job created over the past decade, five manufacturing jobs have been destroyed.

“The costs are being incurred in the regions and the outer metropolitan parts of our major cities, not in the inner cities,” he said.

“These are communities that are really dependent upon the resources sector. And if those jobs go, those communities will go.

Climate change expert discussed Australia's environmental future with host Joe Hildebrand.

“There are no jobs coming in. There are no investments coming in from the so-called new green economy… it would unleash a humanitarian catastrophe across the country as a result of the mass unemployment.”

However, Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie said Australia desperately needs to dramatically scale up renewable energy and phase out coal and gas.

Ms McKenzie said science tells us 2050 will be “too late” to reach net-zero targets.

“I think the thing that strikes me about this election is that many people in the last three years have had their “penny drop” moment about climate change,” she said.

“Whether it was the black summer fires or the recent floods that had happened on the back in many areas have caused other very catastrophic floods not long before, I think people are saying, actually I‘m seeing climate change around me.

“We need to act now…this decade is where action is actually required. We can‘t be leaving it too late.”

Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Behyad Jafari said the demand for electric vehicles has soared as Australians become “more aware” of the benefits.

He said the transition to electric vehicles will provide significant benefits across the electricity sector.

“Our biggest struggle now is about getting enough supply in order to satisfy that huge demand that we have for electric vehicles,” Mr Jafari said.

“What we need is proper planning. We need to know how many electric vehicles are coming, when they will be charging.

“By orchestrating the way that electric vehicles are charged, getting them to charge at the right time actually makes our grid more reliable and be able to reduce the unit price of electricity as well.

“This is the change that is coming.”