26 August 2008
South Australia can play a key role in climate change debate
by Paul Howes, AWU National Secretary, special for Adelaide Advertiser -
The AWU is working very closely with the Federal Government on the urgent question of climate change.
We are also working closely with South Australia's industrial communities who will feel the brunt of climate change if planned new laws are poorly framed, Paul Howes wrote in an opinion piece for today's Adelaide Advertiser .
A lot of our biggest carbon emissions corporations are based well away from the big eastern seaboard capitals - Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
The AWU knows that by standing stronger together we can make sure that people in the East understand the concerns of families who depend on these corporations to deliver not just jobs - but the opportunity for decent, and improving living standards.
That's why as AWU National Secretary I have begun a national tour to meet with AWU members and local community leaders to listen and discuss - to find the practical solutions which will both help to green our planet.
That's why I will be in Adelaide tomorrow speaking both to high-profile local industry leaders, as well as my members to look for ways we can keep our industries alive and thriving.
We must find ways we can practically work together to keep these good employers here - using the lowest carbon intensity methods possible.
We are keen to work with the Liquid Natural Gas sector because we know the potential for jobs and good livelihoods from LNG exports are set to increase
Growing international concerns about future energy supply means that South Australia's resources will play a vital role in securing the nation's energy supply in particular in natural gas.
The AWU plays a pivotal role in Santos Ltd's operations particularly at Moomba - about 800 kilometres north of Adelaide.
The onshore Otway Basin is regarded as the second most prospective basin in South Australia after the Cooper Basin.
Increasingly, cleaner burning natural gas will serve as a transition fuel in the context of the ETS.
The oil and gas sector and the renewable sector in particular wind, geothermal and solar industries are growing part of the South Australian economy - that means, if we are all smart, this part of Australia could play a pivotal role in the Climate Change debate.
We should campaign for improved infrastructure, to ensure growing jobs and a secure future in a green economy for working people in this state.
But achieving this exciting future will require clarity in the ETS design and operation and a recognition of the investment made by our trade exposed industries if we are to be able to cater for demand in cleaner burning gas.
These projects take years to develop and certainty is needed that investments will not be undercut by decisions which make the sector less competitive compared to overseas suppliers.
I believe that it will be input from my visit to South Australia which will help the AWU frame a top notch submission to Kevin Rudd, and Penny Wong, on how we best defend good local jobs.
This submission is due in September and I will be urging local community leaders, as well as all my members, to get informed and actively involved in this next stage of the community debate.
We're not anti-Garnaut. We also believe the situation is urgent and an Emissions Trading System is the reasonable way to go. Like Garnaut we believe in broad participation in the world solution.
Like him we believe that emission-intensive, trade-essential industries are special cases, and a gradualist approach is the only way we can deal with them.
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Download the PDF article from the Adelaide Advertiser
All electoral matter is authorised by Paul Howes, National Secretary