Podcasts 2022: What will this election mean for the future of coal in Australia

Australia’s decades-long political history with climate, renewables and coal is examined in the latest series of ABC podcast If You’re Listening.

Is there a relationship more toxic than the one between coal and Australian politics?

The black stuff — provider of tens of thousands of jobs and billions in taxation revenue — is warming the planet in a way that some believe could end existence as we know it.

A federal election has been called and both major parties have pledged to keep coal mining alive in key marginal seats ahead of a poll largely fought on the rising cost of living and stability.

Australia’s decades-long political history with climate, renewables and coal is examined in the latest series of ABC podcast Australia, If You’re Listening.

Host Matt Bevan interviews former MPs, chief scientists and mining lobbyists, and revisits the key moments when opportunity for change was lost, or when the nation was saved, depending on where you sit in the climate divide.

It’s worth listening if you want to understand the power of coal in Australia.

The national broadcaster assumes climate change is going to be a major election issue, and at this point in the campaign, it sort of is and sort of isn’t.

Concerns over recent floods have been superseded by rising grocery bills, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been distracting from memories of the Black Summer bushfires.

Albanese, scared by Bill Shorten’s loss of the unlosable election in 2019, is talking smaller game on climate to his predecessor. He’s promised a 43 per cent cut in emissions by 2030, but won’t stop mining in seats where the sector offers well-paid, secure jobs.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is promising the best of both worlds, a future where technology saves the planet with no jobs lost, and a 26-28 per cent reduction of carbon emissions by 2030.

In response to the two-party stalemate, 20 pro-climate independents are running. The candidates, such as Allegra Spender in Sydney’s Wentworth and Zoe Daniel in Melbourne’s Goldstein, are running against moderate Liberals in seats less concerned with job security than with returns on investment.

It’s unclear what, if anything, this election will mean for the future of coal and the planet.

Australia, If You’re Listening is available on your favourite podcast app.