Pt 1. Talking Transformation with Ross Garnaut AC, hosted by Kate Chaney MP - 15 March 2023
Here is a brief summary of the key points discussed:
Australia's Renewable Energy Resources: Garnaut highlights that Australia, particularly Western Australia, has the best combinations of solar and wind resources in the world. This makes the country an ideal place for renewable energy production.
Export of Processed Products: Garnaut suggests that Australia could play a significant role in helping other countries decarbonize their heavy industries by exporting processed products made using renewable energy. This would be cheaper and more efficient for these countries than trying to use their own renewable energy resources.
Energy Transition Minerals: The transition to a zero-emissions economy will require a significant increase in the use of certain minerals, such as copper, cobalt, nickel, lithium, and vanadium. Australia is the largest potential source of these energy transition minerals, which Garnaut refers to as "critical minerals".
Knowledge and Skills: Garnaut also emphasizes the importance of Australia's knowledge and skills in areas such as mining, metallurgy, forestry, and agriculture in building the new economy.
The Role of Innovation: Garnaut believes that innovation will be key to this transition and suggests that new companies, rather than established ones, are likely to lead the way in this area.
The Importance of Decarbonization: Garnaut stresses the importance of decarbonization, not just for the environment, but also for the economy. He argues that the costs of decarbonization will be much less than the damage that would be done if we don't deal with the problem of climate change.