Accepting a ‘Just Transition’ to energy change

...there hasn't been any significant oil and gas exploration in our region for a couple of years and the upcoming summer offers no hope for that to change.

For decades, the oil and gas industry has been the backbone of our economy in Taranaki.

Surveying, extraction, engineering, processing, logistics and more – the industry has created many well-paid jobs that have kept our communities going.

Therefore, the news that there has been an application to undertake one of the largest ever offshore surveys for oil exploration in the area should be welcome, right?

If only it was that simple. The fact of the matter is, the shift away from fossil fuels is real. Renewable energy is getting cheaper as technology improves at an incredible pace.

Many governments are making stronger commitments to addressing climate change (discounting the lunatic in the White House), and reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a key area for that work.

Whether it’s through tighter regulation, renewables becoming even more competitive in the energy market, or any other forces, the transition is happening.

And it is something we must prepare our region and our workforce for. We can’t continue to put so many eggs in the oil and gas basket.

So how should we, as a region and as a country, respond to these changes?

It seems to me that trying to squeeze the last drops of oil out of the Taranaki Basin is an irresponsible move, and not just because of the compelling arguments about the need to deal with climate change and halt our local ecological degradation.

It’s also irresponsible for the working people who are reliant on this industry which isn’t doing enough to plan for its decline.

For a long time, union and other pro-worker perspectives in the fossil fuel industries were very resistant to change. Protecting and saving jobs is par for the course! We saw elements of the environmental movement as against our industries and therefore against us.

Now our thinking is clearer, and we call for a ‘Just Transition’ – an acceptance of the changes in the energy market, and an unequivocal fight against leaving affected workers, and their affected communities, to bear the brunt of those changes.

There are many workable solutions.

Creating new jobs for people in regions like ours that currently rely on fossil fuel industries. Making training and upskilling accessible to people who need it. Encouraging younger people to look for more sustainable jobs. Providing fair compensation for people who are made redundant. Leading true regional development that is future-focused for both the environment and the people who work and live in it.

It does not mean celebrating short extensions to the lifespan of the industry around here without preparing for the future. It does not mean keeping our heads in the sand and hoping that the market will somehow solve all the problems.

Besides, there hasn’t been any significant oil and gas exploration in our region for a couple of years and the upcoming summer offers no hope for that to change.

Of course, this argument goes well beyond the energy industry. Technological advances, particularly around automation, are challenging the default position that we’ll always be able to make a buck by selling our labour.

While the future is always uncertain, experts have predicted that 40 per cent of jobs could disappear within the next 10 to 15 years.

Getting a just transition right for energy workers will create a blueprint for the many other industries that face an uncertain future.

It’s an opportunity to make sure that all stakeholders, including working people, environmental scientists, industry representatives and governments can face these challenges together in a constructive and productive way.

We have to start with two principles: that protecting the environment is very important, and so is protecting the livelihood of our workers, families, and communities.

When you accept these, you realise we need to start doing things very differently, very quickly.

- Ross Henderson is a former regular columnist for Stuff and an organiser with the Etu¯ union. The views expressed in this column are his own and don’t necessarily represent the position of his employer.