Anthony Albanese is seeking to quell internal unrest about federal Labor's plan to address climate change and what that means for blue-collar jobs.
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The opposition leader will use his first major policy speech to declare: "The road to a low-carbon future can be paved with hundreds of thousands of clean energy jobs, as well as supporting traditional jobs, including coal mining."
Mr Albanese will say a switch to renewables offers opportunities for Australian coal exports, pointing out it takes more than 200 tonnes of metallurgical coal to produce one wind turbine.
"With the right planning and vision, Australia can not only continue to be an energy-exporting superpower we can also enjoy a new manufacturing boom," he will tell a Committee for Economic Development of Australia function in Perth on Tuesday.
"Our current policy settings barely acknowledge climate change, let alone seek to exploit the opportunities that, over time, can come with the global shift to renewables."
Labor's emissions reduction and renewable energy targets remain under review. They were 45 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, at the May election.
Mr Albanese remains focused on the renewable energy target.
"Experts tell us achieving 50 per cent renewable energy at home while building a hydrogen export industry would create 87,000 good, well-paid jobs," he will say.
But Energy Minister Angus Taylor says it's all a "fairytale".
"Any notion that the opposition, that Albanese is focused on blue-collar workers, manufacturing, energy-intensive industries, when at the same time they're hanging on to those reckless targets, is a fairytale," he told reporters in Sydney.
Labor has been grappling with its direction on climate change with some MPs blaming its ambitious targets for a loss of support amongst blue-collar workers, especially in coal mining areas, at the federal election.
The party has also copped ongoing criticism over its equivocation on the future of the Adani coal mine.
But the Labor leader will recognise the importance of continued coal exports, pointing to the wind turbine production.
Forecasts of global growth in wind power suggest the world will need the equivalent of three years output from Queensland's Moranbah North coal mine.
Other mining jobs could be found in the burgeoning demand for rare earth materials, Mr Albanese will say, citing the example of WA's growing lithium mining industry which was backed by research into battery manufacturing.
Australian Associated Press