Coal power generation is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, being responsible for over one quarter of total emissions. Given that burning coal is our leading contributor to climate change, moving our electricity supply away from coal is one of the quickest, most efficient ways of doing our part to act.
There is a pathway to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, and avoiding a catastrophic rise in global temperatures. Retiring every coal-burning power station over the next decade — and replacing them with clean energy generation and storage — is the simplest and most effective way for Australia to do our fair share of reducing greenhouse emissions to a safe level. It's our best shot to tackle climate change, protect people, and protect our planet's natural places.
That is why we have joined together with six other community-based groups to launch the Beyond Coal campaign.
Change is already happening in the coal sector. But this transition needs to be managed. We need a plan to drive the changes that climate science tells us are needed, while looking after the workers and communities who currently rely on coal.
As Australia’s energy system diversifies, so too will the jobs available in the sector. According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, investing in relatively new technologies — like battery storage, battery storage, hydrogen, lithium and rare earths — could be one of our best opportunities to create regional jobs and grow industry hubs. In Victoria, the proposed Star of the South offshore wind farm is expected to provide 12,000 jobs in construction, and 300 ongoing jobs - and could provide up to one-fifth of the state’s electricity needs
The Australia Beyond Coal alliance was started by a group of seven community organisations including Friends of the Earth, who together represent more than one and a half million Australians concerned about the damaging impacts of coal power on our health, communities, and climate.
United by our commitment to see Australia take meaningful action on climate change, we have come together to build a campaign to transform the Australian energy system over the next decade. We want to see Australia harness the extraordinary economic opportunities of this country’s plentiful renewable energy resources to support thriving communities and forge a bright future powered by clean energy.
Our mission is to:
- Empower everyday people with information about coal-burning power stations and where their energy comes from
- Show people how they can join campaigns happening right now all over Australia
- Urge governments and businesses to engage with the community, to sensibly plan for the accelerating transformation in our energy market, and
- Avoid the worst impacts of climate change, while building resilient communities and a strong national clean economy for future generations
You can find out about the campaign here.