A former leader of the conservative Liberal Party Dr John Hewson has told a business conference in the Victorian state capital, Melbourne, looking after the environment does not have to come at the expense of jobs.
Dr Hewson was launching a new report that shows Victoria could create 225,000 jobs during the next 15 years by protecting its natural assets.
AAP Newsagency reports economic activity in key sectors could also grow by $36 billion over the same time by restoring environmental assets.
Dr Hewson said the report showed responding to climate change was not at odds with business opportunities and growth.
He agreed this was in contrast to recent comments made by Australia’s conservative Liberal-National Prime Minister Tony Abbott when he was in Canada and the United States recently.
“He was asked about climate change and he said he thought it was an important issue but he didn’t want to clog up the economy and destroy jobs,” Dr Hewson told a breakfast of 80 business leaders.
“This study makes the point that that is not the case at all.
“It does not need to be a trade off between growth and employment on the one hand and responding adequately to climate change on the other.”
The Future Economy Group, a coalition of business and environmental leaders, commissioned the Bringing Victoria’s Economy into the 21st Century report.
AAP reports the study said if the natural environment was improved, the economy would outperform current projections and become more resilient to economic shocks.
However, if more was not done to protect it, the state economy could lose up to half a million jobs and $78 billion.
Dr Hewson said the report made the point that if the natural environment is managed well and efficiently, then more jobs and more growth would follow.
“It’s been my very strong view for the past 15 years or so that in fact there are enormous business opportunities in a sensible response to climate change,” he said.
Future Economy Group member Rowan Dowland told AAP the research showed the economy and the health of the environment are inextricably linked.
“We do not need to choose between looking after nature or the economy,” he said.
“Rather, decisions to restore our natural capital will lead to better outcomes for the Victorian economy,” Mr Dowland added.
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