AGM Impact Report

July 2022 to June 2023

23 November 2023

Dear CoPower Members,

As we come together to reflect on the accomplishments and challenges of the past year, it is with pride on the impact of our ability to work together that I present the CoPower Annual General Meeting President Report for the period spanning July 2022 to June 2023. 

This has been a year of significant growth, democratic and collaborative decision-making, organising to expand the commons, impactful initiatives, and strategic partnerships that have propelled us toward our vision of a sustainable, just, and democratic energy system under the common ownership of the people. Together, we are building a fragile but growing commons in a sea of corporate dominance. Together, we can grow and strengthen this emergent commons. 

• Cooperative Growth:

Over the past 12 months, our cooperative has thrived. We have grown to over 4,000 households across this continent. Further, we have welcomed two new organisational members – the Australian Services Union Victorian Private Sector Branch, and the Renters and Housing Union.  This growth is a testament to our collective commitment to shaping an energy system that aligns with our values.

• Participatory Budgeting and Climate Justice Initiatives:

Our commitment to participatory democracy has flourished through the democratic budgeting process. Our work this year encompassed work on two rounds of participatory budgeting. 

The first was the final member vote for the 2022/23 #CoPowerBudget, and implementing the resulting commitments. We had over 800 households vote in this final round with $100,000 in spending set aside for climate justice projects, including support for international climate justice organising on the part of Filipino and Nepalese workers, helping to fund the building of solar panels on a community school in Palestine, support for urban ecological regeneration with the Melbourne Pollinator Corridor and a contribution to the landmark Our Islands, Our Home campaign. 

The second was the consultation and voting rounds for the 2023/24 #CoPowerBudget, with over 1,000 households casting their vote in the final ballot! This year our members responded to the corporate price gouging that is driving the cost-of-living crisis by splitting our democratic budget evenly between broader community solidarity and reinvesting back into the cooperative’s ability to improve the lives of members. This involves setting up CoPower to make investments into renewable energy generation assets under the collective’s ownership (for the first time), funding for ongoing energy efficiency work and additional funds set aside for financial hardship.  

The continued commitment members demonstrated to set aside over $50,000 in funding to projects for the common good and climate justice further illustrate the power of solidarity and community-driven decision-making. Notably, we are proud to fully fund eight impactful projects, including supporting Indigenous youth through the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, fostering resilient farming communities in Timor Leste, and addressing both the solidarity economy and the housing crisis with Earthworker’s Construction Cooperative.

Participatory budgeting is more than a financial process; it’s a commitment to democracy and cooperative principles. It empowers members to actively influence the cooperative’s direction, ensuring that decisions are reflective of our shared values. This commitment to democracy is crucial, especially in an era where the fossil fuel industry exerts significant influence. Members joining and participating in CoPower are harnessing the power of democracy to make the transition quicker, deeper and just. 

• Overland Literary Journal Partnership

CoPower’s dedication to fostering critical dialogue is evident through our partnership with Overland Literary Journal. This collaboration finalised in the 2022/23 financial year supports Overland’s commitment to radical discourse on climate change, environment, and renewable energy. The $5,000 sponsorship provides a platform for diverse voices and perspectives, amplifying our cooperative values in the ongoing dialogue on climate action and social inequality. 

• Improving Accessibility and Member Benefits

For 2022/23 we had two modest but real improvements for household members. The first was the introduction of alternative ID to a drivers licence on the online switch form. This one little step away from the private car-centric norms that dominate our society, and more immediately enhances inclusivity. Second, we have further empowered members to reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions with a new member discount in collaboration with Earthworker Smart Energy Cooperative (ESEC). Members in the Melbourne area can now get a discount on ESEC’s services, including draught proofing, energy auditing, and smart energy advice, aligned with our commitment to sustainability.

A Call to Action

Even as we celebrate these achievements, it’s important to remain sober about the scale of the social and ecological crisis we face in a corporate controlled economy. Some of the largest polluters continue to supply electricity to most homes across the country and they have been making super profits from the cost of living crisis; AGL, Energy Australia and Origin Energy. Right now, world leaders are preparing to travel to the United Arab Emirates for the annual UN Climate Change negotiation. This meeting is presided over by Sultan Al Jaber who is also the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil company, a corporation that has some of the largest plans for expansion of gas and oil in the world. We cannot leave big corporations to just use the climate crisis as yet another means to squeeze a profit. 

To challenge the market domination of big fossil fuel corporations, we urge you to take action. Organise, mobilise, and invite others to join CoPower. Your advocacy and involvement are the catalysts for our continued success. We will never out compete the corporations but we can out cooperate them. 

In the cooperative spirit, we move forward together, committed to building a future that works for people and the planet.

Thank you for your dedication and support.

In community, 

Godfrey Moase

Chair, Co-operative Power Australia Pty Ltd (CoPower)