Climate change is a global problem that needs a global solution, but it will also require leadership and recognition of responsibilities. Australia is the 7th largest emitter among industrialized countries, and has one of the world’s highest per capita emissions.

Australia is also the developed country most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which gives us an especially strong interest in fighting for a global response to the problem. If Australia shies away from taking action on climate change, this would undermine progress towards an effective agreement with the other countries of the world.

Professor Ross Garnaut has said in reference to Australia and the international climate change scene, “Whether we like it or not, Australia matters.”¹

_{1 Garnaut Climate Change Review (2008) Final Report}

Regional Australia will actually benefit the most from clean energy jobs that will be created if national climate change policies are put into place.

The Climate Institute recently released research that looked at existing clean energy projects and business proposals that will become reality with policies like the renewable energy target and emissions trading scheme.

These proposals, which already exist and are just waiting for strong policy to go into action, will create about 26,000 new jobs, most of them in regional Australia.¹

The Climate Institute’s Clean Energy jobs map is a specially designed Google map that shows the location of existing clean energy projects and those that are underway or proposed.

Click here to view the Clean Energy Jobs map

_{1 The Climate Institute (2009) Clean Energy Jobs and Regional Investment in Australia http://www.climateinstitute.org.au/images/maps/cleanenergyjobs.pdf}