One million jobs: ready, willing and able

Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) will today release its framework to create over one million jobs and reinvigorate the national economy through a range of practical projects that help modernise industries, re-skill our workforce and reduce household energy bills.

The Million Jobs Plan is being launched today by Mike Cannon-Brookes, Co-CEO and co-founder of Atlassian, Kevin McCann AO, former Chair of Macquarie Bank and Origin Energy, Deanne Stewart, CEO, First State Super and Christiana Figueres  – Architect of The Paris Climate Agreement.

Australia needs the best solutions to unlock productivity and growth, and BZE is bringing together leaders in investment, business and industry to get those ideas scoped and built,” said Eytan Lenko, Chair of BZE.

“Only last week, the ABS reported 835,000 job losses since March. We need urgent action to work alongside Governments to restore our economy. The Million Jobs Plan provides a framework to enable projects that are practical, bankable and create jobs.”

The Million Jobs Plan maps out a bold job creation framework through:

• The acceleration of new energy transmission and storage projects to unleash an abundance of cheap, clean energy and position Australia a true global renewable energy superpower.
• Implementing a national housing retrofit program targeted at eliminating bills for 2.5 million low-income households.
• Building 150,000 new zero-energy social housing dwellings.
• Building electrified transport infrastructure such as electric bus fleets with localised and regional manufacturing.
• Land restoration to help fragile ecosystems recover from the devastation of the bushfires.
• Stimulus spending to electrify industry, creating new markets and realising the vision of Australia becoming the natural home for energy-intensive manufacturing.
• The upgrade of our aluminium smelters to flexibly ramp up or down to run off renewables, giving them extra sources of revenue and guaranteeing long-term security for their workers.
• The development of green steel produced with hydrogen.

“We want industry, communities and investors to build on this framework to generate the best ideas and work with key partners and private capital to assist Governments where possible to rebuild our economy,” Mr Lenko said.

“No one thought 2020 would turn out the way it has. We now have a unique opportunity to seize this moment, to re-tool, re-skill, and rebuild our battered economy to set us up for future generations.

“There is no doubt that The Million Jobs Plan is bold but importantly, it’s also doable. This Plan shows the way to a green (and gold!) economic recovery that will set us up for decades to come,”  said Mr Cannon-Brookes.

Panellists

• Mike Cannon-Brookes, Co-CEO and co-founder of Atlassian
• Kevin McCann AO, Chairman of Citadel Group Limited, Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited, the Menzies Research Centre and former Chair Macquarie Bank and Origin Energy
• Deanne Stewart, CEO, First State Super
• Christiana Figueres – Architect of The Paris Climate Agreement and Founding Partner at Global Optimism
• Eytan Lenko, BZE interim CEO and Chair of the Board

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Beyond Zero Emissions is one of Australia’s most respected climate change think-tanks. We produce independent research which shows that zero emissions is technically feasible and affordable now. ‍