Greenpeace Australia Pacific Media Release
Greenpeace Australia Pacific has warned the Albanese government against plans to subsidise gas for industrial users, saying it should instead be supporting industry to decarbonise.
Media reports today that Labor is weighing up an intervention to start bulk-buying gas and selling it at discounted rates to industrial users, comes as the government is expected to announce an East Coast gas reservation policy in the coming weeks.
Greenpeace says the intervention would be at odds with Australia’s commitment to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, including under the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Belém Declaration on the transition away from fossil fuels inked outside the UN COP30 conference in Brazil less than three weeks ago.
Joe Rafalowicz, Head of Climate and Energy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “When it comes to fossil fuels and climate action, the government wants to have its cake and eat it too – joining the Belém Declaration to transition from fossil fuels on the global stage, while pouring subsidies into polluting gas at home.
“The fact the government is considering interventions to prop up the dirty gas industry while homes are being burned to the ground as bushfires rage across NSW and Tasmania, is a level of cognitive dissonance not easily understood.
“It is mind-boggling the Albanese government is seriously considering propping up the gas industry who profit from selling our gas overseas, and actively lobby to weaken and block climate policy in Australia.
“Gas is expensive, unreliable and unnecessary, and the government should be seeking to exit gas as quickly as possible rather than prolonging its death throes.
“The Albanese government should instead be supporting industry and workers to decarbonise and reduce their gas demand, so they can be competitive as the world moves away from fossil fuels and our trading partners demand low carbon products. If the government doesn’t invest in the green economy of the future, workers and industry will be left behind.”
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So, here’s the state of play….and the lobbyists from Chevron, Santos, Shell and Origin….
“As predicted, the gas industry is scrambling to influence an expected Albanese Government announcement to restrict gas exports. US gas giant Chevron is using right-wing media to warn of sinking investor confidence, while the AFR is reporting multinational rivals – Santos, Shell, and Origin – are in Canberra lobbying the government to protect their share of the multi-billion-dollar east coast gas export market.
Their lobbying is not in vain. The Albanese Government is considering loopholes to protect the interests of these gas multinationals over and above Australian households and the climate.
Since Friday, hundreds of supporters have chipped in to counter this campaign from the gas industry. If we raise enough funds, we’ll run multiple full-page ads in tomorrow’s major national newspapers as Government meets to discuss their options.
With Cabinet meeting today to kick off deliberations, we’re running out of time.”
https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/fullpage-gas-ads?
No wonder the Liberals are in disarray,Labor has stolen their thunder.
Labor, who claim to represent the interests of tax paying Australian citizens, must end the gas export industry fiasco by re-writing Howard era gas export contracts that enable Japan to buy unlimited amounts of Australian gas at a fraction of the Australian domestic market price and then allow Japan to sell off “excess” gas for profit to other Asian consumers. Australian East Coast domestic gas availability is configured to maintain high prices despite the abundance of gas resources available. It is a farce!