WA’s peak conservation body has responded to figures released by Woodside Petroleum this morning, calling out ‘glaring omissions’ in the company’s annual report.
Woodside CEO, Meg O’Neill described 2021 as a ‘transformative year’ for the company, spruiking the planned $20 billion merger of oil and gas assets with BHP and the highly controversial Scarborough gas proposal, slated for WA’s north west.
Both moves have drawn the ire of conservationists, who have pointed to the alarming disparity between Woodside’s statements about ‘transitioning’ to ‘clean energy’ while simultaneously sinking billions of dollars into new and existing fossil fuel developments.
Maggie Wood, Executive Director of the Conservation Council of WA, said: “The casual observer might see the figures published today and assume that the fossil fuel industry is on the cusp of a boom in demand, or, that big profits are here to stay. However, to come to that conclusion is to miss the bigger picture and there are several details that Woodside has notably missed from its reporting.
“The most glaring omission is that the vast majority of countries which Woodside considers key to its future success – namely those in South East Asia – are actively turning away from imported gas and towards large-scale investment in renewable energy. The world as a whole is rapidly de-carbonising and with net-zero deadlines fast approaching across the globe, business models which heavily rely on exporting large amounts of fossil fuels to overseas markets should be looking over their shoulder.
“The question is, what kind of permanent damage is Woodside willing to inflict upon our climate and environment before time finally runs out on fossil fuels?
“With its highly controversial Scarborough gas proposal and its gas-fired fossil fuel hydrogen plans, Woodside is wringing every last drop out of its unwanted; unneeded and highly polluting business model.”
ENDS
MEDIA INFORMATION: The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) is the state’s foremost non-profit, non-government conservation organisation representing more than 100 environmental organisations across Western Australia.
For more information, visit: ccwa.org.au.
CONTACT: For any enquiries relating to this release, please contact Robert Davies
08 9420 7291 / 0412 272 570 or by email, [email protected]