Australia can have a healthy economy AND a healthy planet. With a green rebuild we can have both!

Right now, the Australian government is thinking about how to reboot our economy. This means investing lots of dough to kick-start the economy and help it bounce back. Like cookie dough and ice cream, the economy and jobs go hand in hand. Unfortunately, not everyone can be a Ben & Jerry’s flavour guru (yes this job actually exists!) but if the government invests in the right areas - there are opportunities for jobs much, much closer to home.

The good news is that when it comes to jobs – the solution is literally on our doorstep. It is possible to build a great economy, create lots of great (future -proofed!) jobs, and also look after our planet! Which is a win, win, win! 

What is the solution? Renewable energy, of course! Being the sunniest and one of the windiest countries in the world,  it’s a no brainer that we invest in renewable energy. We can create cheap energy for ourselves, and then bottle up that sunshine and export it all over the world (with the help of some giant cables!). 

Not only is this great news for the Australian economy and the environment, it will also give us lots of new jobs! A new report found that government spending on renewable energy and climate-friendly projects would generate 100,000 new jobs across the country. That’s  three times as many jobs than the fossil fuel industry, for every dollar invested! 

So you’re probably wondering…how do we create these new green jobs? Accelerating the development of solar and wind farms, improving energy efficiency and increasing renewable energy in manufacturing would all help Australia to become a global clean energy manufacturing hub. Other possibilities include making all buses electric, exporting clean technology (like green steel), becoming a world leader in solar batteries and kicking the renewable hydrogen industry into gear. 

We know that this transition will not be easy for everyone, so when we call for a renewables led recovery, we need to make this transition as fair and as just as possible. Luckily, many of the renewable energy jobs can be in rural communities providing a transition for those who work in fossil fuel industries.

Join the Movement

It’s time for Australia to get going and create an economy and planet that is future fit. Join us as we call on our leaders to ask for a cleaner, resilient and fairer Australia by making fossil fuels history! Find out how you can take action now at benandjerry.com.au/climate