Tackling distrust in the renewable energy rollout
From City Road Podcast by Stories about cities and urban life
March 25, 2026 · 33 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges of distrust in the renewable energy transition in Australia, focusing on regional communities' concerns.
A renewable energy transition is top of the list when it comes to Australia's race to net zero carbon emissions. But take the temperature around Australia, and not everyone is on board. Bill Code speaks with Associate Professor Bec Colvin about the importance of taking different concerns seriously and the narrative of regional communities 'standing up' to the powerful actors sweeping in with unwanted change from the outside. Is there really a rift between the city and the country on this issue as is often made out? And what does the latest research have to tell us about renewables and farming communities, coal producing regions, regional Indigenous groups and 'just transitions'? Bill Code speaks with Associate Professor Bec Colvin from the Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy.
People in this episode
Host: Bill Code
Guest: Associate Professor Bec Colvin
Topics covered
- renewable energy
- trust
- regional communities
- net zero
- just transitions
- urban-rural divide
Keywords
- renewable energy
- Australia
- net zero
- regional communities
- trust
- just transitions
- coal regions
- Indigenous groups
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Australian National University, Crawford School of Public Policy
Places: Australia
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