In November last year, I took up an exciting role at the Environment Centre NT spearheading the Repower NT campaign.
When ECNT director Shar and I came together to formulate the Repower NT campaign goal I remember feeling daunted by the enormity of the task we set ourselves: to create a “race-to-the-top” of renewable energy policies between the NT’s political parties. With an opposition party and influential local newspaper that had shown little propensity to “back renewables”, Shar and I knew we had our work cut out for us.
One NT election later, and many thousands of hours of campaigning with the support of some incredible Environment Centre NT funders and volunteers, I’m amazed at our campaign’s results: for the first time ever in an NT election, all major parties from across the political spectrum supported renewable energy.
It’s with a heavy heart but great pride in what we’ve accomplished that I now leave the Environment Centre NT. In many ways, I’m not going far. For the rest of the year, I’ll be “hotdesking” from the Environment Centre NT office as I take up my new position as Communications and Media Manager for an important partner organisation, Beyond Zero Emissions.
Beyond Zero Emissions is a Melbourne-based climate change think tank that produces independent research and innovative solutions to show how Australia can reach beyond zero emissions. Many of you will be familiar with Beyond Zero Emissions thanks to a report we co-authored called the 10 Gigawatt Vision.
I feel deeply privileged to have this opportunity to transfer so many of the effective campaign strategies from Repower NT to a national organisation. It is a particularly exciting time of growth and national attention for Beyond Zero Emissions, including registering interest from the Liberal federal government and front-page coverage from The Australian and the Australian Financial Review for their Million Jobs Plan.
The Million Jobs Plan proposes nation-building, transformative projects that can upgrade our economy, modernise our industry, reskill our workforce and deliver a bright and vibrant future – economically and socially. I’m excited to be soon working on a plan that shows how we can make Australia more prosperous, fairer and more resilient and an important lifeline during this COVID-fueled economic crisis.
A big thank you to Shar, my colleague Lou, the Environment Centre NT management committee and all of the incredible and lovely people that make up our community, for making this past year such a fantastic experience.
Monica Tan
Repower NT Manager