NERA releases new Australian energy literacy report

National Energy Resources Australia has released a new report on the country’s energy knowledge, which it argues has not improved in up to a decade.

NERA commissioned the University of Queensland to write Building Australia’s Energy Literacy, led by Professor Peta Ashworth, Chair in Sustainable Energy Futures. It aims to communicate an “independent definition of energy literacy and [offer] recommendations to coordinate under a national framework what is currently a fragmented landscape driven by sectoral agendas.”

Ashworth said that, “We are fortunate in Australia that we have reliable energy, but our challenge is to build understanding of how to manage the transition to a sustainable low-carbon society.

“Most efforts to build energy literacy have been in schools, and while this is important, it means some groups of people have been left behind.

“We need to fill the gaps to ensure everyone has access to the information they need, in the format they would like, at the times they need it, to help raise literacy levels more broadly.”

Researchers recommended a workshop bringing energy industry stakeholders together, with actions including identifying gaps in understanding, developing a plan to address these, and coordinating information into a better story.

The report can be read at this link.

NERA was established in 2016 as part of the federally-funded Growth Centres initiative. Its focus is on the oil, gas and energy resource sector.

Picture: cleantechnica.com

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