Australia’s retail sector led the switch to renewable electricity in 2020
Kristin Gillies, January 31, 2021
2020 was the year that Australian businesses got serious about accelerating the transition to renewable energy, according to a report by Greenpeace.
A new report from Greenpeace Australia Pacific shows that cumulatively, Australian businesses are making huge investments in renewable energy. Aussie companies have so far committed to the clean energy equivalent to powering 1.3 million homes.
The report also finds some clear trends in the business renewable energy transition, with the retail industry emerging as the frontrunners with almost double the renewable electricity commitments of any other industry.
Major retailers, including Woolworths, Bunnings and Aldi, that made the biggest moves into the renewables market last year, accounting for 1,146MW of deals struck last year. The telecommunications sector, led by Telstra, was the second largest corporate sector, signing deals with 713MW of new projects.
KEY FINDINGS
- 28 of Australia’s biggest electricity-using companies have now made renewable energy commitments that, together, will drive 2.8GW of new renewable energy projects
- 5038 clean energy jobs will be created as a result of these companies making the switch
- Renewable commitments from retailers ALDI, Woolworths, Bunnings and Officeworks alone will drive new demand of nearly 2GW (1893MW) of wind and solar – equivalent to the electricity consumption of 757,000 homes, creating 3,407 jobs
- 71% of Australians think that Australian companies should set a goal to get to 100% renewables as part of their responsibility for tackling climate change
