A leaked report from the Western Australian Environmental Protection Agency (WA EPA) has revealed the agency is recommending the approval of gas company Woodside’s North West Shelf, to the Federal Environment Minister.
Jess Panegyres, head of clean energy transition at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said that the project should be rejected calling it a “climate disaster.” Greenpeace is also calling on the Federal Environment Minister to conduct a full assessment of the impacts and risks of Woodside’s North West Shelf project.
“Woodside’s application to extend operation of its ageing North West Shelf gas processing factory all the way through to 2070 undermines Australia’s climate progress.
Ms Panegyres said Australia has a legal commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and Woodside’s plans would see gas exported well into the second half of the century.
“If approved [the project] will spew out 4.5 billion tonnes of climate pollution, blowing Australia’s entire carbon budget through to 2050 in order to export more gas that will drive up global climate pollution.
“What’s more, it could pave the way to…Woodside’s planned Browse gas field, which would see Woodside drilling for gas around Australia’s largest standalone oceanic coral reef.”
“This dangerous project threatens a safer climate future for all Australians and some of our most nationally significant ocean ecosystems.”
Ms Panegyres said the WA EPA has a narrow mandate, and thus has not taken the broader national interest into account when making its decision.
“That job now falls to Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who must conduct a full independent assessment of the full range of impacts of this toxic project.”
“Woodside’s ageing and polluting North West Shelf gas processing factory is one of Australia’s biggest contributors to climate pollution – and Woodside isn’t even held accountable for the vast emissions generated by its gas exports, which make up 90 per cent of the company’s climate pollution.
Woodside’s North West Shelf gas processing factory alone would generate 4.4 billion tonnes of climate pollution, almost 10 times Australia’s total climate pollution in 2022.
