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Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Australia approves 40-year extension for contentious gas plant
Protesters are seen outside the Woodside Annual General Meeting at Crown Towers Perth, Burswood, in Australia on May 8. PHOTO: REUTERS SYDNEY - Australia on May 28 approved a 40-year extension to a major liquified gas plant, brushing off protests from Pacific island neighbours fearful it will inflame climate damage. The North West Shelf is a sprawling industrial complex of offshore rigs and processing factories pumping out more than 10 million tonnes of liquified gas and petroleum each year. Run by resources giant Woodside, it is one of the world's largest producers of liquified natural gas – and one of Australia's biggest polluters. Originally slated to close in five years' time, Environment Minister Murray Watt on May 28 approved an extension to keep it running until 2070. In a statement, Mr Watt said he approved the extension 'subject to strict conditions' designed to limit the impact of emissions. Neighbouring Pacific islands, already seeing their coastlines eaten away by rising seas, had urged Australia to shut down the plant. 'Pacific leaders have made it clear – there is no future for our nations if fossil fuel expansion continues,' said Tuvalu Climate Change Minister Maina Talia. 'The North West Shelf extension would lock in emissions until 2070, threatening our survival and violating the spirit of the Pacific-Australia climate partnership,' he said ahead of this week's decision. Australia insists that extending the plant – which each year emits millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas – does not tarnish a pledge to reach net zero by 2050. But it poses an awkward diplomatic problem as Australia seeks to host the UN climate conference alongside Pacific island nations in 20 26. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said liquified natural gas – a fossil fuel – would bridge the gap while more renewables were plugged into Australia's power grid. 'You can't have renewables unless you have firming capacity. It's as simple as that,' he said this week. 'You don't change a transition through warm thoughts.' The Woodside plant straddles Western Australia's Burrup Peninsula, a region home to some of the country's best-preserved Aboriginal rock art. Spewing 'toxins' A monitoring programme is still trying to determine if industrial air pollution was degrading the engravings, some of which are thought to be 40,000 years old. Mr Watt said 'adequate protection for the rock art' was central to his decision. Aboriginal leaders have tried in vain to stop the extension. 'The toxins that spew out, we see this on a daily basis,' Ms Raelene Cooper said ahead of the government's decision. 'No one had a say when all this happened. Government never come to us. Woodside never come to us.' The project consistently ranks among Australia's five largest emitters of greenhouse gas, according to figures from the country's Clean Energy Regulator. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap heat as they collect in the atmosphere, fuelling climate change. AFP Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Australia approves 40-year extension for contentious gas plant
Australia on Wednesday approved a 40-year extension to a major liquified gas plant, brushing off protests from Pacific island neighbours fearful it will inflame climate damage. The North West Shelf is a sprawling industrial complex of offshore rigs and processing factories pumping out more than 10 million tonnes of liquified gas and petroleum each year. Run by resources giant Woodside, it is one of the world's largest producers of liquified natural gas -- and one of Australia's biggest polluters. Originally slated to close in five years' time, Environment Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday approved an extension to keep it running until 2070. In a statement, Watt said he approved the extension "subject to strict conditions" designed to limit the impact of emissions. Neighbouring Pacific islands, already seeing their coastlines eaten away by rising seas, had urged Australia to shut down the plant. "Pacific leaders have made it clear -- there is no future for our nations if fossil fuel expansion continues," said Tuvalu Climate Change Minister Maina Talia. "The North West Shelf extension would lock in emissions until 2070, threatening our survival and violating the spirit of the Pacific-Australia climate partnership," he said ahead of this week's decision. Australia insists that extending the plant -- which each year emits millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas -- does not tarnish a pledge to reach net zero by 2050. But it poses an awkward diplomatic problem as Australia seeks to host next year's UN climate conference alongside Pacific island nations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said liquified natural gas -- a fossil fuel -- would bridge the gap while more renewables were plugged into Australia's power grid. "You can't have renewables unless you have firming capacity. It's as simple as that," he said this week. "You don't change a transition through warm thoughts." The Woodside plant straddles Western Australia's Burrup Peninsula, a region home to some of the country's best-preserved Aboriginal rock art. - Spewing 'toxins' - A monitoring program is still trying to determine if industrial air pollution was degrading the engravings, some of which are thought to be 40,000 years old. Watt said "adequate protection for the rock art" was central to his decision. Aboriginal leaders have tried in vain to stop the extension. "The toxins that spew out, we see this on a daily basis," Raelene Cooper said ahead of the government's decision. "No one had a say when all this happened. Government never come to us. Woodside never come to us." The project consistently ranks among Australia's five largest emitters of greenhouse gas, according to figures from the country's Clean Energy Regulator. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap heat as they collect in the atmosphere, fuelling climate change. sft/lb
Int'l Business Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Australia Approves 40-year Extension For Contentious Gas Plant
Australia on Wednesday approved a 40-year extension to a major liquified gas plant, brushing off protests from Pacific island neighbours fearful it will inflame climate damage. The North West Shelf is a sprawling industrial complex of offshore rigs and processing factories pumping out more than 10 million tonnes of liquified gas and petroleum each year. Run by resources giant Woodside, it is one of the world's largest producers of liquified natural gas -- and one of Australia's biggest polluters. Originally slated to close in five years' time, Environment Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday approved an extension to keep it running until 2070. In a statement, Watt said he approved the extension "subject to strict conditions" designed to limit the impact of emissions. Neighbouring Pacific islands, already seeing their coastlines eaten away by rising seas, had urged Australia to shut down the plant. "Pacific leaders have made it clear -- there is no future for our nations if fossil fuel expansion continues," said Tuvalu Climate Change Minister Maina Talia. "The North West Shelf extension would lock in emissions until 2070, threatening our survival and violating the spirit of the Pacific-Australia climate partnership," he said ahead of this week's decision. Australia insists that extending the plant -- which each year emits millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas -- does not tarnish a pledge to reach net zero by 2050. But it poses an awkward diplomatic problem as Australia seeks to host next year's UN climate conference alongside Pacific island nations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said liquified natural gas -- a fossil fuel -- would bridge the gap while more renewables were plugged into Australia's power grid. "You can't have renewables unless you have firming capacity. It's as simple as that," he said this week. "You don't change a transition through warm thoughts." The Woodside plant straddles Western Australia's Burrup Peninsula, a region home to some of the country's best-preserved Aboriginal rock art. A monitoring program is still trying to determine if industrial air pollution was degrading the engravings, some of which are thought to be 40,000 years old. Watt said "adequate protection for the rock art" was central to his decision. Aboriginal leaders have tried in vain to stop the extension. "The toxins that spew out, we see this on a daily basis," Raelene Cooper said ahead of the government's decision. "No one had a say when all this happened. Government never come to us. Woodside never come to us." The project consistently ranks among Australia's five largest emitters of greenhouse gas, according to figures from the country's Clean Energy Regulator. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap heat as they collect in the atmosphere, fuelling climate change.
France 24
28-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
Australia approves 40-year extension for contentious gas plant
The North West Shelf is a sprawling industrial complex of offshore rigs and processing factories pumping out more than 10 million tonnes of liquified gas and petroleum each year. Run by resources giant Woodside, it is one of the world's largest producers of liquified natural gas -- and one of Australia's biggest polluters. Originally slated to close in five years' time, Environment Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday approved an extension to keep it running until 2070. In a statement, Watt said he approved the extension "subject to strict conditions" designed to limit the impact of emissions. Neighbouring Pacific islands, already seeing their coastlines eaten away by rising seas, had urged Australia to shut down the plant. "Pacific leaders have made it clear -- there is no future for our nations if fossil fuel expansion continues," said Tuvalu Climate Change Minister Maina Talia. "The North West Shelf extension would lock in emissions until 2070, threatening our survival and violating the spirit of the Pacific-Australia climate partnership," he said ahead of this week's decision. Australia insists that extending the plant -- which each year emits millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas -- does not tarnish a pledge to reach net zero by 2050. But it poses an awkward diplomatic problem as Australia seeks to host next year's UN climate conference alongside Pacific island nations. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said liquified natural gas -- a fossil fuel -- would bridge the gap while more renewables were plugged into Australia's power grid. "You can't have renewables unless you have firming capacity. It's as simple as that," he said this week. "You don't change a transition through warm thoughts." The Woodside plant straddles Western Australia's Burrup Peninsula, a region home to some of the country's best-preserved Aboriginal rock art. Spewing 'toxins' A monitoring program is still trying to determine if industrial air pollution was degrading the engravings, some of which are thought to be 40,000 years old. Watt said "adequate protection for the rock art" was central to his decision. Aboriginal leaders have tried in vain to stop the extension. "The toxins that spew out, we see this on a daily basis," Raelene Cooper said ahead of the government's decision. "No one had a say when all this happened. Government never come to us. Woodside never come to us." The project consistently ranks among Australia's five largest emitters of greenhouse gas, according to figures from the country's Clean Energy Regulator. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap heat as they collect in the atmosphere, fuelling climate change.
The Advertiser
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Carbon offsets set aside following greenwashing lawsuit
One of Australia's largest energy firms has issued an apology to more than 400,000 customers, acknowledging that carbon offsets "do not prevent or undo harms" caused by burning fossil fuels. EnergyAustralia issued the statement early on Monday following a lawsuit launched by Parents for Climate that had been scheduled to be heard in the NSW Federal Court on Wednesday last week. The group, with more than 20,000 members, called EnergyAustralia's acknowledgement a win for Australian consumers but said it could also set a standard for the use of carbon offsets and environmentally friendly marketing by other companies. The lawsuit, filed in August 2023, claimed the energy generator and retailer misled customers using its Go Neutral products that were marketed as "carbon neutral" due to the purchase of carbon offsets and claimed consumers would have a "positive impact on the environment". In its statement, EnergyAustralia apologised to customers who felt the marketing claims were unclear and acknowledged carbon offsets did not reverse environmental harm. "While offsets can help people to invest in worthwhile projects that may reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere, offsets do not prevent or undo the harms caused by burning fossil fuels for a customer's energy use," the statement said. "Even with carbon offsetting, the emissions released from burning fossil fuels for a customer's energy use still contribute to climate change." EnergyAustralia withdrew its Go Neutral plans from the market in 2024, and chief customer officer Kate Gibson said the company would focus on direct efforts to reduce emissions in future. "Carbon offsets should not be used to delay or diminish the important work that needs to be done to actively decarbonise," she said. The energy giant's acknowledgement should herald a fresh approach to the use of carbon offsets in Australia, Parents for Climate chief executive Nic Seton said, as greenwashing had become too common. "Parents have spent too long trying to make careful, considered decisions about where their money goes, especially in a cost-of-living crisis, but corporate greenwashing has pushed them off track," he said. "This isn't just about EnergyAustralia – it's about holding companies to a higher standard across the board." Australian regulations for corporate environmental claims were not strong enough, Mr Seton said, and the government should consider ending Climate Active carbon neutral certification that had been under review since October 2023. The outcome of the court case could set a standard for corporate environmental claims in Australia, Equity Generation Lawyers principal lawyer David Hertzberg, who represented the charity, said. "Today's outcome is a watershed moment in greenwashing litigation in Australia," he said. EnergyAustralia ranked as Australia's third-largest emitter in 2023-2024, according to statistics from the Clean Energy Regulator, and has more than 1.6 million customers. One of Australia's largest energy firms has issued an apology to more than 400,000 customers, acknowledging that carbon offsets "do not prevent or undo harms" caused by burning fossil fuels. EnergyAustralia issued the statement early on Monday following a lawsuit launched by Parents for Climate that had been scheduled to be heard in the NSW Federal Court on Wednesday last week. The group, with more than 20,000 members, called EnergyAustralia's acknowledgement a win for Australian consumers but said it could also set a standard for the use of carbon offsets and environmentally friendly marketing by other companies. The lawsuit, filed in August 2023, claimed the energy generator and retailer misled customers using its Go Neutral products that were marketed as "carbon neutral" due to the purchase of carbon offsets and claimed consumers would have a "positive impact on the environment". In its statement, EnergyAustralia apologised to customers who felt the marketing claims were unclear and acknowledged carbon offsets did not reverse environmental harm. "While offsets can help people to invest in worthwhile projects that may reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere, offsets do not prevent or undo the harms caused by burning fossil fuels for a customer's energy use," the statement said. "Even with carbon offsetting, the emissions released from burning fossil fuels for a customer's energy use still contribute to climate change." EnergyAustralia withdrew its Go Neutral plans from the market in 2024, and chief customer officer Kate Gibson said the company would focus on direct efforts to reduce emissions in future. "Carbon offsets should not be used to delay or diminish the important work that needs to be done to actively decarbonise," she said. The energy giant's acknowledgement should herald a fresh approach to the use of carbon offsets in Australia, Parents for Climate chief executive Nic Seton said, as greenwashing had become too common. "Parents have spent too long trying to make careful, considered decisions about where their money goes, especially in a cost-of-living crisis, but corporate greenwashing has pushed them off track," he said. "This isn't just about EnergyAustralia – it's about holding companies to a higher standard across the board." Australian regulations for corporate environmental claims were not strong enough, Mr Seton said, and the government should consider ending Climate Active carbon neutral certification that had been under review since October 2023. The outcome of the court case could set a standard for corporate environmental claims in Australia, Equity Generation Lawyers principal lawyer David Hertzberg, who represented the charity, said. "Today's outcome is a watershed moment in greenwashing litigation in Australia," he said. EnergyAustralia ranked as Australia's third-largest emitter in 2023-2024, according to statistics from the Clean Energy Regulator, and has more than 1.6 million customers. One of Australia's largest energy firms has issued an apology to more than 400,000 customers, acknowledging that carbon offsets "do not prevent or undo harms" caused by burning fossil fuels. EnergyAustralia issued the statement early on Monday following a lawsuit launched by Parents for Climate that had been scheduled to be heard in the NSW Federal Court on Wednesday last week. The group, with more than 20,000 members, called EnergyAustralia's acknowledgement a win for Australian consumers but said it could also set a standard for the use of carbon offsets and environmentally friendly marketing by other companies. The lawsuit, filed in August 2023, claimed the energy generator and retailer misled customers using its Go Neutral products that were marketed as "carbon neutral" due to the purchase of carbon offsets and claimed consumers would have a "positive impact on the environment". In its statement, EnergyAustralia apologised to customers who felt the marketing claims were unclear and acknowledged carbon offsets did not reverse environmental harm. "While offsets can help people to invest in worthwhile projects that may reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere, offsets do not prevent or undo the harms caused by burning fossil fuels for a customer's energy use," the statement said. "Even with carbon offsetting, the emissions released from burning fossil fuels for a customer's energy use still contribute to climate change." EnergyAustralia withdrew its Go Neutral plans from the market in 2024, and chief customer officer Kate Gibson said the company would focus on direct efforts to reduce emissions in future. "Carbon offsets should not be used to delay or diminish the important work that needs to be done to actively decarbonise," she said. The energy giant's acknowledgement should herald a fresh approach to the use of carbon offsets in Australia, Parents for Climate chief executive Nic Seton said, as greenwashing had become too common. "Parents have spent too long trying to make careful, considered decisions about where their money goes, especially in a cost-of-living crisis, but corporate greenwashing has pushed them off track," he said. "This isn't just about EnergyAustralia – it's about holding companies to a higher standard across the board." Australian regulations for corporate environmental claims were not strong enough, Mr Seton said, and the government should consider ending Climate Active carbon neutral certification that had been under review since October 2023. The outcome of the court case could set a standard for corporate environmental claims in Australia, Equity Generation Lawyers principal lawyer David Hertzberg, who represented the charity, said. "Today's outcome is a watershed moment in greenwashing litigation in Australia," he said. EnergyAustralia ranked as Australia's third-largest emitter in 2023-2024, according to statistics from the Clean Energy Regulator, and has more than 1.6 million customers. One of Australia's largest energy firms has issued an apology to more than 400,000 customers, acknowledging that carbon offsets "do not prevent or undo harms" caused by burning fossil fuels. EnergyAustralia issued the statement early on Monday following a lawsuit launched by Parents for Climate that had been scheduled to be heard in the NSW Federal Court on Wednesday last week. The group, with more than 20,000 members, called EnergyAustralia's acknowledgement a win for Australian consumers but said it could also set a standard for the use of carbon offsets and environmentally friendly marketing by other companies. The lawsuit, filed in August 2023, claimed the energy generator and retailer misled customers using its Go Neutral products that were marketed as "carbon neutral" due to the purchase of carbon offsets and claimed consumers would have a "positive impact on the environment". In its statement, EnergyAustralia apologised to customers who felt the marketing claims were unclear and acknowledged carbon offsets did not reverse environmental harm. "While offsets can help people to invest in worthwhile projects that may reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere, offsets do not prevent or undo the harms caused by burning fossil fuels for a customer's energy use," the statement said. "Even with carbon offsetting, the emissions released from burning fossil fuels for a customer's energy use still contribute to climate change." EnergyAustralia withdrew its Go Neutral plans from the market in 2024, and chief customer officer Kate Gibson said the company would focus on direct efforts to reduce emissions in future. "Carbon offsets should not be used to delay or diminish the important work that needs to be done to actively decarbonise," she said. The energy giant's acknowledgement should herald a fresh approach to the use of carbon offsets in Australia, Parents for Climate chief executive Nic Seton said, as greenwashing had become too common. "Parents have spent too long trying to make careful, considered decisions about where their money goes, especially in a cost-of-living crisis, but corporate greenwashing has pushed them off track," he said. "This isn't just about EnergyAustralia – it's about holding companies to a higher standard across the board." Australian regulations for corporate environmental claims were not strong enough, Mr Seton said, and the government should consider ending Climate Active carbon neutral certification that had been under review since October 2023. The outcome of the court case could set a standard for corporate environmental claims in Australia, Equity Generation Lawyers principal lawyer David Hertzberg, who represented the charity, said. "Today's outcome is a watershed moment in greenwashing litigation in Australia," he said. EnergyAustralia ranked as Australia's third-largest emitter in 2023-2024, according to statistics from the Clean Energy Regulator, and has more than 1.6 million customers.
