Town ditches outdated energy sources for next-gen upgrade with global impact: 'They recognize the ... value for their children and the community'

An Australian coal town is proving to be the model of a just transition, according to Climate Home News.

The local Just Transition Working Group broke up priorities into maximizing opportunities for affected workers, committing to a just transition, celebrating local history while promoting its future, and diversifying the local economy. Through years of hard work and communication, Collie has started the process of winding down its coal mining industry and coal power plants while simultaneously preparing the community for a greener future.

This includes paid training for coal workers and business incentives to bring in new revenue streams. Thanks to this work, new enterprises in battery energy storage, green steel, graphite processing, and magnesium refining have set up shop in Collie.

Switching away from dirty fuels like coal, oil, and gas is vital for humanity's future. Burning them for power pollutes and traps heat in the atmosphere. That trapping of heat exacerbates extreme weather events, like hurricanes, floods, and droughts. The heating also contributes to melting polar ice caps, which leads to sea level rise. This warming effect heats ocean surface temperatures, leading to severe ecosystem damage.

By embracing eco-friendly alternatives like Collie has done, these kinds of catastrophes are avoided, and lots of extra benefits are generated. Grid-scale solar power is the cheapest electricity source out there, for example. Closing coal plants also means better air quality and health for inhabitants. Electric vehicles are cheaper to run and arguably more fun to drive than gas cars.

Residents of Collie remain largely aligned on the town's new direction.

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"Not all are enthusiastic about the transition; some are sceptical or see coal as part of the town's future. But they recognise the transition's value for their children and the community," said Caleb Goods, senior lecturer of management and employment relations, per Climate Home News.

"If we don't empower local people when we're trying to create wholesale change inside their communities, then we're in the wrong game," said Steve McCartney, state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, per Climate Home News.

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