After the Smoke Clears – Episode 2

For more information go to: www.afterthesmokeclears.com.au
Today we return to the Latrobe Valley – to ask “what is a just transition?”  In other words how can we phase out coal and phase in renewables without hurting the families and communities that relied on coal for income and power.
We are joined by:
Michael Mersmann: the Director of Globalisation and European Policy,  for the German Union for Mining,  Chemicals and Energy workers.  He presided over what is widely considered one of the most successful examples of transitioning from Coal to renewables in history. Between 1997 to 2015 a partnership between government,  industry and the unions oversaw the reduction of 72,820 jobs.  Their credo and philosophy was “that no miner would be unemployed”.

Geoff Dyke: is the Victorian branch secretary of the mining and energy division of the CFMEU and Moe resident.  Geoff experienced first-hand exactly what privatisation meant for the Latrobe Valley community and workers.  He can testify to exactly what happens when a transition is not managed correctly – the opposite of a just transition has to be an unjust transition.

Ged Kearney: Ged Kearney is the member for Batman in federal parliament but back in 2016.  When the closure of Hazelwood was announced,  she was the president of the ACTU.  I’ve asked Ged to come on the show because of her outspoken support of a Just Transition.