A new national report claims strong action against greenhouse pollution now will lead to millions of new jobs in the future.

The study commissioned by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Australian Conservation Foundation shows employment could be boosted by 1.5 per cent by 2030.

Kendall Gilding reports.

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TRANSCRIPT

The report’s findings were presented to apprentices in Brisbane today calling for Australia to shift from being a pollution dependent economy to a cleaner more sustainable one.

Sharan Burrow, ACTU President: “What this report shows is absolutely conclusively, strong action on climate equals job growth and that’s good for the environment but it’s also good for the economy.”

Three strategies are being pitched including renewable energy, energy efficiency and market mechanism.

Don Henry, ACF Executive Director: “We’ve got to get a message through to our leaders that putting this in the deep freezer is not good enough. We need action now and there’s great job benefits all around Australia if we get moving.”

While the report claims that more jobs would be created by cutting pollution they were unable to provide a clear answer about where and how these jobs would be found.

The proposal showed facts and figures but Queensland workers have mixed views about it producing 165,000 jobs over 20 years by cutting pollution.

Luke Foran, Apprentice Carpenter: “It’s got to come down to the industries to really develop technologies.”

Stuart Campbell, Careers Australia Institute of Training: “I think it’s just a glossy cover, whether they actually do something about it is a different story.”

With elections looming they’re encouraging the Australian Government to invest now to secure jobs and reduce damage to the environment.

Kendall Gilding, QUT News.