Veronika Wild

  Myth# 9 Renewables are Bad for Business  FACT: Some businesses are struggling with high power costs, but the reasons are complex. The structure of our electricity market, foreign ownership of gas, and the fact that we are only partway through the transition. Variability is real, yet many businesses have already adapted. Net Zero itself is not the problem—unchecked climate change is. In the long run, clean energy reduces costs, builds resilience, and strengthens economies. According to the Climate Council, business installations in Australia increased by 60% between 2016 and 2017 with some 40,000 commercial systems being installed. Below are just a few examples.    Concerned about its high power bills, the Country Cob Bakery in Victoria installed solar panels on its roof and now saves $9,000+ on its energy bills.  Young Henry's Brewery, a well‑known craft brewery and tasting bar in Sydney’s Inner West, has also made big savings.  Large r...

  Myth # 5    Renewables will Cost Jobs and Destroy Rural Communities     FACT: With adequate preparation, the transition from coal to renewables does not have to be brutal as the case studies below show. Renewable Energy already employs some 30,000 workers around Australia and this number is expected to continue growing, whereas that in coal mining and coal -fired generation is expected to decline in line with commitments made by some 60 countries to end the use of coal by 2030. The benefits are not only environmental, but because they are less polluting, bring health benefits as well. Around Australia some 16 large Battery projects are currently either being completed or in the process of development.  Just Transitions  When last coal mine in Germany's  Ruhr District  closed* in 2018,  not a single one of its 3,000 workers lost their job. The writing had been on the wall for Germany's coal industry since the 19...