Woodside, Australia’s polluter-in-chief, had a terrible day at its annual general meeting.

Shareholders and concerned Australians voted down Woodside’s ‘climate’ plan simply because it wasn’t going far enough to tackle the climate crisis.

This is a massive blow to Woodside’s credibility – banks, super funds, institutional investors and thousands of shareholders have said its ‘climate’ plan isn’t worth the paper it is printed on.

Communities here in Australia and the Pacific deserve a safe climate future.

Woodside’s Burrup Hub is the most polluting fossil fuel project currently proposed in Australia today. Approving new fossil fuel projects will endanger countless lives and recklessly lock Australia into more fossil fuels as the rest of the world shifts to cleaner, cheaper renewable energy.

We’ve spent the past 2 years fighting to stop Woodside from going ahead with its disastrous plans in WA. And now the finish line is in sight. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has Woodside’s plans on her desk right now and we know she cares deeply for the environment and our oceans. Let’s make sure Plibersek receives an avalanche of emails opposing Woodside’s Burrup Hub.

You can use our simple tool to email Plibersek in just a few clicks.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific is currently taking Woodside to the Federal Court for making previous statements that we believe were misleading or deceptive about its plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. 

Greenpeace v Woodside Concise Statement

Members of the media only can contact Lisa Wills on 0456 206 021 or Kimberley Bernard on 0407 581 404 for further information or to arrange an interview.

Today the fossil fuel giant released its latest annual report along with its annual ‘Climate Transition Action Plan’.

Comments attributable to Greenpeace Australia Pacific Head of Climate and Energy Jess Panegyres:

“In the hottest year on record, punctuated by extreme weather events and the ever-spiralling cost of living, Woodside made billions of dollars – these profits are made from our collective loss.

“Gas is a dirty and polluting fossil fuel that’s driving the climate disasters we’re seeing take place all over Australia. Costs from natural disasters are already around $38bn a year, or 2% of GDP, a bill expected to roughly double in four decades.

“Woodside is Australia’s biggest climate threat and we believe they cannot be trusted.

“Where the world is investing in clean, green renewables, Woodside’s profits are instead overwhelmingly invested in new fossil fuel projects and in maximising their shareholder profits.

“To address the worsening climate crisis, Woodside needs to stop drilling new fossil fuel fields and start paying for the damage done by climate change in Australia and the wider Pacific region.

“Today Woodside also released its latest Climate Transition Action Report. Greenpeace is currently taking Woodside to court, alleging that in earlier communications the fossil fuel giant has been misrepresenting its climate performance and plans to the Australian public.

“We’re arguing that Woodside’s statements mislead investors, governments and the general public into thinking it is reducing its emissions when in truth the company’s emissions are increasing.

“The question that Woodside must now answer before our courts is whether its climate claims actually stack up.

“Woodside’s so-called ‘climate transition action report’ should be closely scrutinised.”

Greenpeace’s court proceedings against Woodside Energy will next be heard on 27 March 2024 at 9.30 am in the Federal Court of Australia.

—ENDS—

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Lisa Wills on 0456 206 021 and/or lwills@greenpeace.org

“Western Australia is one of the windiest places in the world, and with our skilled workforce and export infrastructure, WA is perfectly placed to become a renewable energy superpower,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Head of Climate and Energy Jess Panegyres said today.

“Today’s announcement from Minister Bowen marks a clear investment in WA’s clean energy future – it will deliver thousands of sustainable jobs in the clean energy sector and lower energy costs. 

“Western Australia is in the grips of the climate crisis, and so many of us are being crunched by rising costs of living. 

“It makes sense, both environmentally and economically, to invest in renewables and ensure a cleaner, safer future for West Australian communities. The overall environmental benefit of wind farms is a win for nature and our climate.

“We don’t need more polluting fossil fuels like gas for local energy or export revenue when we have all we need, right here and now, to provide West Australians with a sustainable future,” Ms Panegyres added.

—ENDS—

“Western Australia is one of the windiest places in the world, and with our skilled workforce and export infrastructure, WA is perfectly placed to become a renewable energy superpower,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Head of Climate and Energy Jess Panegyres said today.

“Today’s announcement from Minister Bowen marks a clear investment in WA’s clean energy future – it will deliver thousands of sustainable jobs in the clean energy sector and lower energy costs.

“Western Australia is in the grips of the climate crisis, and so many of us are being crunched by rising costs of living.

“It makes sense, both environmentally and economically, to invest in renewables and ensure a cleaner, safer future for West Australian communities. The overall environmental benefit of wind farms is a win for nature and our climate.

“We don’t need more polluting fossil fuels like gas for local energy or export revenue when we have all we need, right here and now, to provide West Australians with a sustainable future,” Ms Panegyres added.

—ENDS—

Greenpeace Australia Pacific is a global independent campaigning organisation that uses peaceful protest and creative confrontation to expose environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Kimberley Bernard on 0407 581 404 or kbernard@greenpeace.org

The revelations follow questions to the offshore regulator NOPSEMA at Senate Estimates overnight.

Comments attributable to Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO David Ritter:

“Companies with oil and gas rigs are required to have environmental management plans. These are a critical part of our regulatory framework and require developers to explain how their actions might impact our precious natural environment.

“Under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2023 the plans must be revised every 5 years so that changes to these risks can be properly scrutinised.

“Greenpeace Australia Pacific is concerned to learn that Woodside is in breach of these important environmental laws.

“Woodside’s legacy of toxic spills, accidents, and leaving oil and gas infrastructure rusting in the ocean despite orders from Australian authorities, shows that the company can’t be trusted when it comes to protecting our environment.

“Woodside’s operations are continuing at three facilities despite their last environment plans being accepted over five years ago, and revised environment plans not having been submitted for consideration by NOPSEMA. These include:

• the Macedon operations which was due to have a revised environment plan submitted to NOPSEMA by about 15/10/2023;
• the Vincent Maersk Ngujima-Yin FPSO operations on which the environment plan was due to be submitted by about 28/11/2023; and
• the Pyrenees facility operations which was due to have a revised environment plan submitted by about 3/1/2024.

“NOPSEMA confirmed in Senate Estimates that it issued an informal extension to Woodside on these environment plans, but that doesn’t go far enough.

“Greenpeace Australia Pacific is now urging NOPSEMA to exercise its powers to issue a directions notice to Woodside to force compliance with the requirement to submit revised environment plans.

“Ahead of an expected decision from the Federal Environment Minister concerning Woodside Energy’s climate-wrecking Burrup Hub project – the most polluting fossil fuel project currently proposed in Australia – we urge the Minister to take note of these concerns.

“Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, is reviewing Woodside’s plans to exploit the Browse gas field – a key part of the Burrup Hub project. This would require drilling up to 50 wells around Scott Reef, Australia’s largest stand-alone coral reef atoll and a vital habitat for pygmy blue whales and green sea turtles. The project would also require building a 900km-long pipeline through two marine parks.

“A decision to rule out Woodside’s Burrup Hub is a decision to save Scott Reef and prevent untold environmental harm.”

Greenpeace’s report into the potential risks of Woodside’s Burrup Hub project is here.

Images of the stunning, pristine Scott Reef are available for hi-res download here. Additional photos and materials can be made available on request.

—ENDS—

Seismic blasting uses underwater airguns to blast powerful sound waves towards the seabed to identify fossil fuel reservoirs beneath the ocean floor. It can seriously injure whales and potentially kill other marine life. A growing body of research indicates that this noise pollution can damage, sometimes permanently, the hearing of whales and fish, as well as kill important prey species like plankton. 

Woodside’s own acoustic modelling found that pygmy blue whales could be injured by the seismic blasting over 60km from the blasting vessel. The blasts are expected to run for weeks, with local wildlife being exposed to booms as loud as a jet plane every 5 seconds, 12 hours a day.

Seismic blasting is just the first part of Woodside’s monstrous Burrup Hub. The whole Burrup Hub will include drilling up to 80 gas wells off the Pilbara and Kimberley coast – posing a threat to wildlife at major biodiversity hotspots like Scott Reef. 

Woodside and its Burrup Hub is Australia’s biggest climate threat, belching out 6.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its proposed 50-year lifetime.

The Burrup Hub is so dirty that its climate pollution would be greater than the combined total of the next two largest fossil fuel projects: the Beetaloo Tamboran and the Peak Downs Extension.

Woodside’s seismic blasting is way too risky and it should never have been given the green light. But the fight isn’t over yet. With enough pressure, we can make sure the government pulls the plug on Woodside’s disastrous plans. You can help by signing the Woodside petition or emailing your local MP.

Millions of years ago, a massive barrier reef – as big as the Great Barrier Reef – stretched along the coast of what is now northern WA. Over time the reef retreated. Now all that remains is a series of isolated atolls Ashmore Reef, Seringapatam and Scott Reef, and the Rowley Shoals.

You might not have heard much about Scott Reef, but it’s a pretty special place. Scott Reef consists of two formations, North Scott Reef and horseshoe-shaped South Reef. This oceanic reef system includes a third formation – Seringapatam Reef – which is about 30km to the north east of Scott Reef.

We were lucky enough to visit the Scott Reef system in May 2023 when the Rainbow Warrior toured Western Australia. The waters surrounding the three reefs are teeming with life. There are at least 29 species of marine mammals; 41 species of birds; almost 1,000 species of fish; sharks, sea snakes, rays, sawfish and many more amazing and unique animals – some of which haven’t been found anywhere else. 

Scott Reef is a critical spot for endangered pygmy blue whales (EPBC Act). Each autumn, thousands of whales migrate up the coast of Western Australia, traveling from the cool waters of southern Australia to the tropics. In spring, they migrate south again, spending the summer in Tasmania, Victoria and southern Western Australia before swimming north again. 

The whales’ migration path takes them right past Scott Reef. Although we don’t know for sure, many whale experts believe that Scott Reef is an aquatic Driver Reviver – a place for pygmy blue whales (and other migratory species) to stop and feed before continuing their journey. 

Nestled in between North and South Scott Reef is Sandy Islet – a tiny spit of sand where up to a thousand endangered (IUCN; vulnerable – EPBC Act) green sea turtles lay their eggs every year. Adult sea turtles are migratory and swim up to thousands of kilometres to get here. 

Females nesting near Sandy Islet are highly dependent on the food-rich waters around Scott Reef to sustain them during this exhausting period. A few months later, the newly hatched green turtles make their way to the ocean and the cycle begins again.

Like all coral reefs, Scott Reef is threatened by rising sea levels and warming oceans caused by climate change. Yet it faces an additional threat: fossil fuel giant Woodside. Browse, Australia’s largest untapped conventional gas reserve, lies directly underneath Scott Reef. 

Woodside wants to drill up to 50 wells to develop Browse – and pump the gas buried deep under the reef hundreds of kilometres to shore to be processed and exported overseas.

Woodside’s dirty gas could be a disaster for Scott Reef and the wildlife that depends upon it. It would turn this pristine reef and surrounding waters into an industrial gas zone blighted by seismic blasting, gas flaring, drilling and pipelaying. 

The climate change produced by Woodside’s dirty gas would contribute to ocean warming, which causes coral bleaching and seriously harms marine life. And if one of Woodside’s wells suffered a blowout – well, the consequences of a worst-case spill here are unthinkable.

Thankfully, there’s still time to stop Woodside. Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, will soon be reviewing Woodside’s plans. Contact your MP today and let them know that you want Scott Reef protected from Woodside and its dirty gas. 

P.S. It has come to our attention that previously Greenpeace has inadvertently used an image of an adjacent reef to depict Scott Reef. The correct image is used above (Image 1). Greenpeace apologises for any confusion caused.

Stretching over 260 kilometres along the west coast of Australia, UNESCO heritage-listed Nyinggulu or Ningaloo Reef (which translates to “deep water” by the Traditional Owners of the land) is the longest-fringing coral reef in the world. 

Considered one of the planet’s largest biologically diverse marine ecosystems and a highway for megafauna, Ningaloo is home to some of the most interesting wildlife in our oceans. So to help us celebrate this World Animal Day, here are 5 fascinating facts you may not know about the wildlife that calls the world’s largest-fringing coral reef home:

Say hello to 6 out of the world’s 7 marine turtles:

A number of Green Turtle hatchlings begin to erupt from a nest site as the sun sets and the temperature drops on a beach near Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.

Did you know that more than 3,000 species of marine life, including 200 coral, 500 reef fish, 600 crustaceans, and 1,000 marine algae call Ningaloo Reef home sweet home? Not to mention 6 out of the world’s 7 species of marine turtles, 3 of which (the endangered green, loggerhead and critically endangered hawksbill turtle) call the reef their home year-round. This leads to the wonderful phenomenon of approximately 10,000 turtle nests dug each year along the Ningaloo Coast! Egg-cellent.

And the highest density of humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere:

Aerial shot of humpback whales migrating along the Ningaloo Coastline in Western Australia, taken from a helicopter.

It’s not just the east coast of Australia that sees thousands of humpback whales migrating to our warmer waters each year. The west coast, in particular the Ningaloo Coast actually has the highest density of humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere during their annual 11,000km migration from Antarctica! Scientists estimate that 30,000 humpback whales visit the Ningaloo Coast each year on their way to their breeding and birthing grounds further north off the Kimberley. It’s one reason why the area is known as a megafauna superhighway! 

Welcome to the home of the whale shark (and plenty of other sharks and rays!):

Whale shark seen during Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior documentation trip off Exmouth, Western Australia.

Ningaloo Reef is fondly known as home of the whale shark, aka the world’s largest known fish, because it is one of the only places in the world where the gentle giants regularly aggregate in large numbers. These docile and distinctively spotted creatures are filter feeders, meaning as the name implies, a whale shark’s diet is rich in plankton and krill.

Meanwhile, we know that there are two types of manta ray in the world (oceanic and reef mantas), but did you also know that Ningaloo Reef is considered to be one of the few places in the world where you can be lucky enough to spot both?! Congregating at Ningaloo Reef year-round, manta rays, like their cousin the whale shark, are also filter feeders and feast on the large amounts of zooplankton found in the area. 

And more than 10% of the world’s dugong population:

Aerial shots of dugongs and dolphins swimming at Ningaloo Reef.

Once thought to be mermaids by early sailors, dugongs (aka “sea cows”) are another species of gentle giants that can be found year-round at Ningaloo Reef. In fact, thanks to the area’s vast seagrass meadows, and a dugong’s hungry herbivorous appetite, Ningaloo Reef is believed to be home to more than 10% of the world’s dugong population. Sadly, like coral reefs, seagrass populations are threatened by the ongoing effects of the climate crisis, through sea level rise, salinity levels and ocean, and is one of the many reasons global dugong populations remain a vulnerable species.

Plus a coral reef that can be seen from space: 

View of the reef documented during Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior’s trip off Exmouth, Western Australia.

Did we mention that Ningaloo Reef is the world’s largest fringing reef? Or that it can be seen from space and is home to over 250 species of coral?! Stretching over 260 kilometres (that’s 226 times the length of the Sydney Harbour Bridge), Ningaloo Reef is believed to represent 50% of coral species in the Indian Ocean. What also makes Ningaloo so special is that coral reefs often don’t grow so close to a landmass, because rain washes silt into the water, making it cloudy and hindering coral growth. However, the arid climate of the Ningaloo Coast helps keep the water mostly clear. This means you can reach the reef simply by swimming from the beach.

…We told you Ningaloo Reef was fascinating!

Ningaloo Reef is an extraordinary place, as is the precious wildlife that calls this place home. Its unique and delicate ecosystem is one that we need to ensure is protected from the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. This World Animal Day, and every day, it is crucial to protect the reef and its biodiversity to ensure the survival of these incredible creatures.

Join our efforts to protect Ningaloo Reef and its wildlife.

We probably don’t need to remind you why the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Having been a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Listings since 1981, and with biodiversity as far as the eye can see (and beyond!), it’s home to 1625 types of fish, 30 species of whales and dolphins, and 600 types of coral, amongst many other species of marine wildlife. 

Aerial photograph of the Great Barrier Reef.

Sadly, we also probably don’t need to remind you that over the past 20 years, the world’s largest coral reef system has continued to make headlines for a series of mass coral bleaching events (6 to be precise) across 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022 – driven by the devastating impacts of climate change. 

That’s why UNESCO’s draft decision to not declare the Great Barrier Reef as  “in danger” ahead of the World Heritage Committee’s final vote in September has come as a disappointing blow to marine scientists and environmental organisations (including yours truly) – especially since we know the recent results from an official UN visit back in 2022 concluded Australia is not doing enough to protect the reef from climate change and more mass bleaching events in the near future. 

Greenpeace “Protect the Reef” campaign action in North Queensland.

Our planet continues to urge us to take immediate action against all the climate change driven disasters seen around the world this year. These, amongst many others are signs that our planet is exhibiting some serious red flags that need addressing.

What are some of these environmental red flags?

Our planet continues to warn us that we cannot continue on our current trajectory. And this year has proven to be no different. From the hottest month on record to what’s looking like the hottest year, here are some of the top environmental red flags of 2023 to remind us why the Great Barrier Reef (as well as many other species and natural environments) should be treated as “in danger”: 

The hottest month on record

Earlier this year, the World Meteorological Organisation confirmed that July was officially the hottest month on record at a global scale. Global temperatures during the month averaged 16.95C, surpassing the previous record by 0.33C set back in 2019. The devastating effects of extreme heatwaves was widely reported in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for Australia and what we could expect over the coming months as we move towards our summer season.

The hottest year on record

That brings us to the world’s official hottest year on record. Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have shown more than a 50% chance that 2023 will be the warmest year on record. This of course follows the unprecedented heatwaves across Europe, a rapidly strengthening El Niño weather event, and alarmingly high temperatures across Asia and parts of the Pacific, as well as a number of heartbreaking wildfires reported across Greece and Maui.

Ocean temperatures

Unsurprisingly but equally as concerning, average oceanic temperatures have also been at an all time high (as reported by the Copernicus Climate Change Service), with scientists reporting that the world’s oceans have been running a fever since March this year. But that’s not the only indication of the serious impacts climate change is having on our oceans, with scientists now reporting the colour of our oceans is also even changing more from blue to green. 

New fossil fuel developments
A recent report by the Australia Institute has outlined the frighteningly high number of new fossil fuel developments this year – 116 to be exact. And if all these projects were to go ahead as planned, that would add roughly 4.8 billion tonnes of emissions into the atmosphere by 2030. 

One new fossil fuel development of course being Woodside’s dangerous plans for the Burrup Hub. The most polluting fossil fuel project currently proposed in Australia, that if completed, would produce climate-wrecking gas until 2070. The project threatens endangered whale and turtle nesting habitat through dangerous dredging and seismic blasting, and another nearby UNESCO protected area – Ningaloo Reef. 

Corals and marine wildlife in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia.

“Projects like the massive Woodside proposal, which would be the largest green house gas emitting project to come forward in Australia, simply cannot go ahead if we are going to be consistent with what is necessary to keep global warming under 1.5°C and give the Great Barrier Reef a fighting chance” as stated by Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO.

The bottom line: We know that the fossil fuel industry is a major contributor to the climate crisis our planet is currently facing. We know that pollution and climate change (driven by the burning of fossil fuels) has been identified as the number one threat to the Great Barrier Reef. We also know that we cannot afford to further invest in the development of new fossil fuel projects.

What we truly need now more than ever, is strong climate targets that align with the efforts to limit global temperature to increase to 1.5°C – that protect our planet and biodiversity treasures like the Great Barrier Reef.