Australian coal and gas should cop the blame: 1.5 to be breached

A deeply alarming UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report has confirmed the world will exceed 1.5 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels, locking in a future of climate catastrophe after catastrophe, unless we see bold action now.     

As the President of Negotiations of the United Nations climate conference in Türkiye later this year, the Australian government cannot continue to stick its head in the sand and approve new coal and gas projects, like Woodside’s gas mine near the pristine Scott Reef and fracking in the NT’s Beetaloo Basin. 

“Devastation awaits if Labor keeps approving new coal and gas mines like Scott Reef and Beetaloo,” ACF CEO Adam Bandt said. 
 
“Australia is the world’s third largest exporter of fossil fuels and one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis. 

“The Albanese government may be on the cusp of further capitulation to big coal and gas greed.

"Woodside wants a gas mine at Scott Reef and Santos wants to frack for gas in NT’s Beetaloo Basin, but both projects could result in over a billion tonnes of climate pollution, fuelling climate catastrophe. 

“Australians are facing a supercharged summer, which may bring extreme heat and extreme bushfires, and as the world grapples with the devastation of an ice avalanche across Nepal driven by glacial melting in the Himalayans, the Labor government must stop approving new coal and gas mines.  

“This report alone gives the government all the evidence they need to reject Woodside’s Scott Reef gas mine and the Beetaloo fracking climate bomb.  
 
“With Australia leading negotiations at the next climate summit in Türkiye, the government should now reject Woodside’s Scott Reef mine and then ask others to follow suit. 

“Governments can’t say they’re serious about climate while approving new coal and gas mines.”