As the climate crisis escalates, conservationists, nature and climate advocates have united behind a plan for Australia to be 100% powered by renewables that are good for nature.
The joint report by the Australian Conservation Foundation and WWF-Australia charts a path for renewable energy and nature to work in harmony, and insists that renewable energy projects be built away from high conservation value areas.
The report, Our Renewable Future - a Plan for People and Nature, calls for all levels of government, industry and community to work together to support an energy transition that is good for nature and people.
Renewables account for almost half (40%) of Australia's main power supply, but the two groups say aggressive disinformation campaigns risk the transition. The report calls for an end to the misinformation on energy, which is running rife, and blasts the nuclear debate for "wasting time we don't have."
"We've seen attempts to create confusion... these distractions are designed to delay action," said Australian Conservation Foundation CEO Kelly O'Shanassy.
"The good news is we know how to get this right. This plan charts a way forward towards a future where the renewable energy transition works in harmony with nature," she said.
"The next Australian Parliament must get cracking and agree on a credible energy plan. We have a once in a generation opportunity to get the policy settings right for a transition that tackles both Australia's climate and nature challenges," she said.
The plan identifies key steps that government, industry and communities can take and shows how an energy transition can be done in a way that not only avoids and minimises nature impacts but improves nature overall.
The report concludes renewable projects must be built in the right places with buffer zones to protect nature and "no-go" zones to include national parks, world heritage areas and key biodiversity areas.
It finds degraded land should be prioritised for development, along with investment in local energy solutions, and embedding biodiversity gains into every project.
"Climate action and nature protection are inseparable. Renewables - built in the right places - can not only co-exist safely with nature, but help nature and people thrive," said Dermot O'Gorman, CEO of WWF-Australia.
"We must rapidly invest in and deploy renewables to meet the scale and intensity of the climate crisis," he said.
The report calls for an urgent overhaul of national and state environmental laws to ensure every project creates net gains and positive outcomes for nature.
It also calls on governments to invest in Local Energy Hubs to support communities and counter disinformation.
ACF and WWF-Australia are calling on their combined 2.8 million supporters to get behind this vision and ensure the energy transition creates a bright future for all Australians.
Additional quotes:
"Local Energy Hubs are the most practical way the Federal Government can invest in the information, capacity and tools that communities badly need to ensure that projects contribute to thriving local economies and resilient ecosystems. This election we've seen regional communities ask for this support directly. The question is, will the government listen?" - Andrew Bray, National Director, RE-Alliance.
"We need the right policies and laws to compel industry to build projects away from high conservation value lands and help restore biodiversity. This plan is an important step forward in showing how." - Prof Brendan Wintle, from the University of Melbourne's School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences.
"This plan will help guide the energy transition in a way that benefits nature and local communities. By working together, there are huge opportunities to build projects that will reduce emissions and contribute to the restoration of our natural landscapes." - Heidi McElnea, Regional Partnerships Coordinator at the Community Power Agency.
Read the report, Our Renewable Future - a Plan for People and Nature.
