Connect with us
Follow us on social media
Event_
Toward a just transition away from coal in Australia
Stakeholder Forum
A hybrid in-person and online stakeholder forum was hosted by the SEI on Monday 7 March 2022. The forum, which operated under Chatham House rules, sought feedback from stakeholders about the results of the research project ‘A just transition away from coal in Australia‘.
The project sought to (1) understand how the idea of ‘just transition’ is currently being understood in Australia; (2) draw out the challenges and opportunities for Australia achieving a just transition away from coal; and (3) place just transition in Australia in regional context. It drew on a detailed review of the academic and discourse analysis of the grey literature, a series of semi-structured key informant interviews and 355 media articles to argue that despite the toxicity of the term ‘just transition’ in Australia, a transition is certainly underway and the alternative to a just transition is a disorderly transition. Highlighting Australian views on just transition and the role of key stakeholders, the project proposed six steps on a ‘journey to acceptance’ of just transition and drew out key recommendations for winning ‘hearts and minds’ and taking concrete action.
The summary report produced for the project provided the starting point for discussions at the Stakeholder Forum, which focused on the questions what does a just transition away from coal look like in Australia at present? what could it look like? and what should it look like?
This event and assosciated project were funded through the British Academy’s Just Transitions to Decarbonisation in the Asia-Pacific programme.
Header image: Aerial view of the Catherine Hill Bay coal loader and beach by Gilly Tanabose via Unsplash.