Bob Massie is the outgoing President and CEO of the New Economy Coalition, whose mission is to support a just transition to a new economy that enables both thriving communities and ecological health. He has degrees from Princeton and Yale and a doctorate in business policy from Harvard University. In 2011, he was a candidate for the US Senate. He was the keynote speaker in a recent Australian tour organised by 350.org Australia and Earthworker Cooperative – “Just Transitions” – discussing the development of new economies that better support people and the planet. Massie advocates for the transition to a clean energy economy to include people currently working in the fossil fuel industry.

A small and remote Pacific nation, with a population less than many Australian country towns, is striving to go 100% renewable energy by 2020 using “Te Mana o te Ra” or “the power from the sun”, as it’s largest project so far is called.

The concept of a 100% renewable towns may have seemed farfetched in the past, but stories from many countries are starting to surface proving that such a target is possible. In Burlington VT, electricity supply comes from all renewable sources.