(Bloomberg) --
Bolstering adoption of renewable energy and other policies aimed at tackling climate change could add about 76,000 jobs in Australia over three years, according to an advocacy group.
Public investment in sectors including utility-scale clean energy projects, ecosystem restoration and the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure could help lift employment in communities affected by bushfires and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Climate Council -- which favors an energy transition -- said in a statement Tuesday.
“The Clean Jobs Plan is unique because of the speed at which it can get people back to work,” said the council's Chief Executive Officer Amanda McKenzie. “It puts us on a practical, jobs-rich path and focuses on areas most in need.”
While Australia posted its largest monthly jobs gain on record in June, adding about 210,000 jobs as large parts of the economy reopened from Covid-19-related lockdowns, the unemployment rate is now at a 22-year high of 7.4%.
Energy minister Angus Taylor has called for a “gas-fired” economic recovery, signaling a preference to support natural gas expansion projects rather than focus exclusively on the installation of new solar and wind power.
Read more: Million Jobs Plan Gives Australia a Green Alternative to Gas
The Climate Council proposals follow a plan set out in June by Beyond Zero Emissions, a clean-energy lobby group, to create as many as one million jobs in renewables, power grid upgrades and greener construction.
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