The Next Economy

👇 Thanks for having us and hosting a great event Institute for Regional Futures 👏

 🌟 Our latest report, Reimagining Diversity in Clean Energy Careers, is making headlines🌟 Featured on the ABC, the report explores how a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce can drive Australia’s energy transition. We are thrilled to see it highlighted alongside Jobsbank Australia CEO Carina Davis and social worker Quynh Cottrell. Taking simple steps to remove barriers to workforce participation will deliver a faster, fairer and more inclusive transition to net zero. So, how do we build a workforce that powers the future? Our report identifies key opportunity areas: 🤝 Foster a thriving workforce development ecosystem: connecting diverse stakeholders, creating the conditions for collaboration while supporting marginalised individuals and regional economies 🧑🤝🧑 Strengthen inclusive career development pathways: providing equitable access and opportunities for all learners and workers 👷 Create supportive and inclusive workplaces: ensuring employees from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed, valued and supported at work As Jacqui Bell, the report’s project lead, shared with the ABC: "Our research shows more diverse teams provide more diverse views in meeting rooms, and better project outcomes." 📖 Read the ABC story: https://hubs.li/Q03bFBp90 📅📚 Want to know more? Access the full report or register for our online briefing session in April: https://hubs.li/Q03bFqKt0

🔆 Regional Energy Transitions in Australia – there's still time to register! 🔆 Hot off the heels of our Melbourne and Latrobe Valley events, there’s still time to register for tonight and tomorrow’s sessions!   The energy transition is well underway, and with political uncertainty rising ahead of the federal election, now is the time to reflect on the past decade of energy change across regional Australia.   Join us for an honest conversation as we launch Regional Energy Transitions in Australia: From Impossible to Possible. We’ll see you in:   👉 Newcastle, Hunter Valley: TONIGHT – Wednesday 12 March 👉 Sydney: TOMORROW – Thursday 13 March 👉 Brisbane: Tuesday 1 April 👉 Canberra: Thursday 10 April   🔗 Register now: https://hubs.li/Q035KyLS0   Subscribe to The Next Economy to stay updated on the latest news and events!

🌟 Thank you for joining us! 🌟 We had a lively discussion in the first webinar of the Beyond Zero Emissions Tech Talks series. Our CEO, Heidi Lee, and Dr. Amanda Cahill, CEO of The Next Economy, shared invaluable insights on how regional communities across Australia are embracing renewable energy. Missed the live session? No worries! Check out the highlight reel below to catch up on the key moments and discussion. 🎥 Stay tuned for more deep dives into issues that matter in our series of Tech Talks as we continue to explore the future of cleantech and its impact on Australia. ➡️ Next in the series: What drives the price of energy?  📅 Date: 20th March 🕒 Time: 1pm AEDT Register here: https://lnkd.in/eaD-eXty

💡 Ready for an honest conversation about energy transitions in Australia? 💡 It was a pleasure to kick off the #RegionalEnergyTransitionsinAustralia book launch tour in Melbourne this week. The conversation was hosted by co-editors and authors, Gareth Edwards, John Wiseman, Amanda Cahill and Dan Musil, along with the inimitable Sharan Burrow AC. Amanda Cahill, CEO of The Next Economy, reflected: “We’re in that difficult period, when we’re firmly in the implementation of the energy transition. We’re already at 40% renewable energy, but there are many challenges still to sort out. And on top of this, we need to address the economic challenges as well. There are cracks in our economic systems that mean we can’t just replicate how we’ve always done things.    “People, especially those who have been through boom and bust cycles with coal and gas are now saying, ‘no’ to the way development’s been done in the past. We have to do it differently. So the opportunity we have is to find a different way of doing economic development - because we have to do it, and because people want it.”    This is the conversation we started in Melbourne and will continue over the coming months.   Join us at an event near you for a grounded conversation about the state of the energy transition, the remaining challenges, and what regions need to manage impacts and capture long-term benefits. 🔆 Latrobe Valley (Morwell): Tuesday 11 March 🔆 Hunter Valley (Newcastle): Wednesday 12 March 🔆 Sydney: Thursday 13 March 🔆 Brisbane: Tuesday 1 April 🔆 Gladstone: Wednesday 3 April 🔆 Canberra: Thursday 10 April For more details and to register for an event, visit: https://lnkd.in/gwn7aFbc A heartfelt thank you to the team at Melbourne Climate Futures for hosting our Melbourne launch, and Chris Grose for capturing the event!

🌾 Exciting news for Hay and Carrathool! 🌾   Last week, Hay Shire Council and Carrathool Shire Council launched the Hay and Carrathool Regional Drought Resilience Plan.   The Plan – developed as part of the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program and jointly funded by the Australian Government and NSW Government under the #FutureDroughtFund – has adopted a holistic approach to resilience in this remote part of the Riverina region. Project lead, Jacqui Bell from The Next Economy, said:      “Throughout this process, communities across the Hay and Carrathool region have demonstrated significant leadership in setting a vision and aspirational directions for the region over the next 10 years. They’ve embraced a holistic approach to understanding the concurrent and mutually reinforcing challenges and transitions the region faces, and worked collaboratively to identify opportunities, strategies and actions to build social, economic, environmental and cultural resilience.”       Over 300 people from diverse local community groups and businesses collectively volunteered more than 650 hours to the Plan’s development. This locally-led planning approach has provided community members across the region a real opportunity to say what’s important to them, identify opportunities to build on what’s ‘good’ and working, and highlight what needs to happen to make sure their communities are better places to live for everyone into the future. The Next Economy has been privileged to work alongside both local councils, primary producers, community members, local businesses and regional stakeholders to support the development of this Plan. We are really excited to see local enthusiasm to pick up actions and strategies and bring them to life. Read the plan here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gQwjYfhZ

We're delighted to be joining Beyond Zero Emissions to kickstart their new initiative, Tech Talks, with a timely and important conversation on what can be learnt from regional energy transitions with TNE CEO Amanda Cahill and BZE CEO Heidi Lee. There's still time to register for the webinar next Thursday👇

Congratulations Mount Isa City Council on today launching the Mount Isa Future Ready Economy Roadmap!   The Roadmap delivers a bold new vision to transform and diversify Mount Isa's economy, delivering immediate job creation and long-term benefits for its residents and the broader Australian economy. It has been developed in partnership with The Next Economy and Climate-KIC Australia. Mount Isa, like many other industrial regions, is at the crossroads of major economic change. The region has a rich asset base, including the North West Minerals Province, but faces the imminent closure of the Mount Isa Mine’s underground copper mine operations and copper concentrator.    This closure will impact approximately 1,200 workers from mid-2025 and the regional economy, a change that needs to be managed alongside increasing demand for critical minerals, affordable and reliable energy generation and storage options, and innovative logistics solutions. Global trade uncertainty and climate impacts further complicate this picture.    Whether Mount Isa successfully navigates these changes will be critical to the success of Australia’s net zero ambitions, and global decarbonisation goals.    Lizzie Webb, project lead and COO of The Next Economy, said: “The Roadmap is exactly the kind of initiative the Future Made in Australia bill is designed to support. New industry development is complex and takes time. Mount Isa is ready for this challenge, and will be successful with the right coordination, support and investment.”  Read more and download the Roadmap: https://lnkd.in/gRSNPjAG

🔆 Regional Energy Transitions in Australia - New events added! 🔆 The energy transition is well underway. As the political climate becomes yet again unpredictable in the lead up to the federal election, there's much to learn from the past decade of energy change across regional Australia. Join us for an honest conversation as we launch 'Regional Energy Transitions in Australia: From Impossible to Possible’.  We'll see you in: 👉 Melbourne: Wednesday 5th March 👉 Morwell, Latrobe Valley: Tuesday 11th March 👉 Newcastle, Hunter Valley: Wednesday 12th March 👉 Sydney: Thursday 13th March 👉 Brisbane: Tuesday 1st April 🔗 Registration info and more at: https://hubs.li/Q035KyLS0 Subscribe to The Next Economy to be the first to hear about more events coming soon.

Gippslanders, you’re invited to the launch of the book, Regional Energy Transitions in Australia: from Impossible to Possible! When: Tuesday 11 March, 6pm Where: Morwell Innovation Centre What: this event will explore the experience of the transition in five of Australia’s key coal regions including our very own - Latrobe Valley. These insights are captured in the recently released book: Regional Energy Transitions: From impossible to possible. Speakers: Dan Musil (moderator and chapter co-author) is a PhD candidate at Western Sydney University. Using a range of action research methodologies, Dan’s research explores possibilities for low-carbon transition and transformation, with a focus on worker-ownership, economic democracy and the Latrobe Valley, where he lives. Dan has been engaged in work on just transitions for over a decade, including as Secretary of the Earthworker Cooperative – an initiative to build more just, democratic and sustainable economies in Australia and beyond. Chris Buckingham GAICD was the CEO of the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) for three years during a period of significant change and uncertainty. Under his leadership the LVA developed the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland Transition Plan and commenced implementation of the associated body of work through Gippsland 2035, strengthened relationships with government, industry and community. Josie Hess is an award winning film maker, impact producer and journalist. They currently work for Environment Victoria in communications. Jeffrey Jacquet is currently a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Curtin University Institute for Energy Transition. He is also Associate Professor of Rural, Environmental and Natural Resource Sociology at the School of Environment and Natural Resources at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He is co-director Global Coal Transitions Research Network and lead editor of the volume Energy Impacts published by the University Press of Colorado. Register via the link below 👇 The Next Economy