Australia’s biggest climate polluter AGL will today start the process of shutting the remaining three of four units at the 50-year old Liddell power station in New South Wales. The heavily  polluting power station – one of Australia’s most unreliable and decrepit – will be replaced by large amounts of wind and solar energy, coupled with big batteries.

Glenn Walker, Head of Advocacy and Strategy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, congratulated AGL for following through on its plans to shut down the power station, and urged the company to close its two remaining stations by 2030.

“AGL’s remaining coal burning power stations in Victoria and New South Wales are equally unreliable polluting clunkers. The sooner they are shut down the better it will be for the climate and the health of local communities,” he said.

“With recent leadership changes at AGL, the company can and should be a renewable energy leader. By future-proofing the grid with renewable energy, AGL can be an industry leader for Australia’s rapid transition away from dirty coal and gas to clean energy.”

It’s the first major closure of a coal-burning power station since 2017, after Engie’s Hazelwood station was shut down in Victoria.

Walker said Liddell’s closure will be a tipping point for Australia’s energy transition.

“When the closure of Liddell was announced in 2017, it caused a political storm, leading to the sacking of then AGL CEO Andy Vesey. Despite the initial protesting from small-minded politicians and commentators, this announcement helped spur a massive four-fold increase in renewable energy production in NSW since 2017, meaning that dirty Liddell will be replaced by clean energy,” he said.

“The lesson from Liddell should be that companies like AGL and politicians alike need to show courage and get on with the job of cleaning up our dirty energy system. With leadership, forward planning, and smart investment in renewable energy the transition from coal and gas to renewables can be seamless.”

The closure comes after a two year campaign by Greenpeace Australia Pacific to have AGL bring forward the closure of their coal-burning power stations. Loy Yang A was scheduled to close in 2048 but is now slated to close in 2035. Bayswater was due to close in 2035 but will now close as early as 2030. 

Greenpeace maintains that both of these remaining power stations need to close by 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement and keep dangerous global heating below 1.5 degrees.

—ENDS—

Does news about the climate crisis seem to take a particularly heavy toll on your mental health? Then hi, welcome! You’re not alone. In fact, you actually join a not-so-exclusive club of almost half of all Australians.

According to a recent national poll conducted by the Climate Council, more than half (51%) of Aussies are “very worried” or “fairly worried” about climate change and extreme weather events in Australia.

It probably means that you or your loved ones have been directly impacted by climate change-fuelled disaster(s) in the past, or, like most other climate activists or climate-alarmed folk, you’re an empath who feels things deeply. IYKYK.

So if you’re reading this (firstly) kudos to you, fellow empath, for being exactly who you are! We think you are amazing. Have you tried harnessing that superpower into positive change for our planet yet? If not, here are eight steps to get you started:

Step One: Empower yourself

Let go of what you cannot control and take charge of what you can. Take a break and find activities that ground you again.

Segregating waste, utilising more public transport, reducing the use of single-use plastics in your life, installing a solar power grid at home, carrying out rainwater harvesting, and growing your own garden or just one indoor plant (bonus points if you can harvest some tasty fruits, herbs, or veggies!) are all ways to play your part – and bring you back to nature at the same time. Win-win!

Step Two: Get (and stay) inspired
Even superheroes need to refuel from time to time. So don’t forget to tailor your feed to include funny animal videos (trust us), and positive news stories and content. Some other great follows over on the ‘Gram include @jessharwoodart @sarah_lazarovic @futureearth and @gogreensavegreen

As far as podcasts go, “turn your climate anxiety into climate action”- the tagline of Greenpeace podcast Heaps Better says it all. Listen to learn more about how we can all become better planet savers!

And if inspirational, life-changing stories (with a happy ending) are what you need, head over to A Slight Change of Plans, a podcast by Dr. Maya Shankar. Dr. Shankar’s guests talk about the crossroads they faced in life and how they overcame them to come out better and brighter at the end of the tunnel.

Step Three: Connect IRL with other superheroes

Climate March in 2019 on Gadigal land, Sydney

Not all superheroes wear capes. And you’re likely to find a fellow hero for climate action right next to you at your next local climate rally, you can join your nearest Greenpeace Volunteer Hub, or even head to a local book club that is an ideal space to read and discuss new ideas with like-minded friends.

Whether it be rallying, reading cli-fi or self-help books, connecting and discussing your thoughts with others is a great way to declutter your thoughts and ease your mind.

Step Four: Talk it out with loved ones
Climate anxiety is real, and sometimes it can become a very heavy weight to bear – even for the strongest of superheroes. Never be afraid to reach out to trusted loved ones (or medical professional) when you need some extra support. 

Step Five: Help empower your elected representatives
Pick up the phone (or jump into your emails if you’d prefer) and give your elected representatives or candidates a (superhero) earful about the changes you want to see.

Step Six: Just be in nature from time to time

Go for a walk, head to the beach (or even your local pool!) or take a hike over the weekend, spend your next free afternoon in an observatory park or local conservation centre – or even just drink your morning tea or coffee outside next time!

Disconnecting from your screen is one of the quickest ways for any nature-loved like yourself to unwind from the busy world we all live in. 

Step Seven: Listen and learn from the Traditional Custodians of the land
As Waanyi nation member and award-winning author, Alexis Wright once said, “We say we have been here since time immemorial, and we understand that our resilience is intrinsically linked with the stories that tell of the ongoing, regenerative cycles of the world in which we live.”

Taking positive action to help heal our planet, cannot be done without being an ally (year-round) to the Traditional Custodians of the land.

Whether that means spending time to learn about and take care of the Country you are living on, or using your voice (and privilege) to fight for change, take the time to listen and learn from First Nations people. 

Step Eight: Join our community

Volunteers onboard the iconic Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior during the first leg of its Making Oil History tour to draw attention to the threat posed by oil drilling to the Great Australian Bight in 2018.

We believe in the power (or should we say superpower) of many. And the strength of our work depends on the thousands of people who put their beliefs into action.

So why not get involved and join our crew to help give our planet the voice it deserves. Our team of volunteers help make the impossible, possible!

Energy heavyweights Dr Kerry Schott, former head of the Energy Security Board, former Tesla executive Mark Twidell, Professor John Pollaers and CSR director Christine Holman will join the AGL board following a move for sweeping change at the energy company’s Annual General Meeting today.

Glenn Walker, senior campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said AGL’s renewed leadership is an important step in the company’s energy transition, but that the company must significantly pick up the pace.

“The exciting new leadership at AGL signals the start of a potential transformation of Australia’s biggest climate polluter to a renewable energy powerhouse, but there’s a need for speed. After years in the coal doldrums AGL now faces serious competition in the renewable transition, with rival Origin set to get a $20 billion renewable development cash injection from new owners Brookfield.

“After an intense Greenpeace campaign that saw AGL bring forward the closure of its dirtiest coal-burner Loy Yang A, AGL’s shown it can move when pushed. Now it has the chance to really pick up the pace, bring forward the closure of its loss-making coal assets even further to 2030, and focus on renewables.

“Investors and customers want to see AGL become a key part of the solution to the energy crisis. Many popular smaller green energy retailers have already or are on the brink of folding as the energy crisis escalates and the onus is on AGL to scale up solutions for those left in the lurch.

“The opportunities here are boundless. In addition to bringing the closure of its ailing coal fleet forward to 2030, there’s immense potential for AGL to use its reach into millions of households and businesses to accelerate the electrification of homes, helping Australians get off polluting and expensive gas and breaking the stranglehold gas companies have on energy prices.

The leadership renewal at AGL follows a turbulent period for Australia’s biggest energy generator, which saw it lose billions of dollars and become the target of a focused Greenpeace campaign, gaining AGL the unwanted title of Australia’s biggest climate polluter. AGL’s previous leadership team’s proposed demerger, which would have seen the company burn coal all the way through to the 2040s, suffered a humiliating defeat in June, leaving the company in urgent need of a new direction.

—ENDS—

Our AGL or “Australia’s Greatest Liability” campaign has been a big priority here at Greenpeace this year. Let’s take a look at all the victories and effort from this campaign that have been made possible by the goodwill of our supporters.

Thanks to the combined efforts of communities, shareholders, and activists, we have seen AGL’s demerger plans foiled and pressured the company to bring forward the closure of their heavily-polluting coal-burning power stations.

Last year we published our “Coal-Faced” report that exposed AGL’s poor climate practices. Since 2015, AGL has breached their environmental licence 111 times and their production of renewable energy actually went down over the past decade! In this report we stated that AGL was Australia’s biggest climate polluter, and AGL then tried to sue Greenpeace for defamation. This was a desperate attempt to silence climate activists, with AGL losing the court battle and Greenpeace claiming victory.

This year we campaigned to challenge AGL’s use of greenwashing tactics, and alerted AGL’s sponsorship partners to these dirty marketing tricks.

We put on bold protests outside AGL HQ to bring media attention to the issue, pressured Australia’s big banks to stop funding AGL’s projects, and engaged with some of AGL’s investors to vote against the demerger. In 2021, we also supported youth activist, Ash Sharif, in running for the AGL Board with a complimentary social media campaign.

In late September this year, AGL announced that they would be bringing forward the closure of the Loy Yang A power station in Victoria from 2048 to 2035! And there are prospects that their Bayswater power station in NSW will transition to renewable energy by 2029.

Wow. That’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?

While AGL has made good progress in response to our actions and demands, there is still work to be done! Greenpeace demands them to bring forward the closure of the Loy Yang A and Bayswater power stations by 2030, in line with the recommendations from climate scientists. AGL now has the opportunity to become a climate leader in Australia, and thanks to the efforts of Greenpeace and our supporters this is now a possibility.

Victorian School Striker protests against AGL Energy’s burning of coal at their coal-fired power station, Loy Yang A, in the La Trobe Valley.

To memorialise this victory, Greenpeace produced a documentary that chronicled the story of how a diverse group of people and organisations banded together against AGL and its leadership team to change the company for the better. The half-hour documentary is available to watch on YouTube, and you can also find it on our website here.

AGL making the switch to renewables and leaving coal in the past is crucial for Australia to avoid further, life-threatening consequences of climate change. Greenpeace will continue to make a stand against AGL and other climate polluters. And we wouldn’t be able to do this, if it were not for you, our Green Guardians.

Your continued support is truly the backbone of our campaigns. Your gifts will go on to make a cleaner world for the next generation, and help keep companies like AGL accountable to the environment.

From Re-energise to Electrify!

This year marked the end to our Re-energise campaign, which was a huge success. We smashed all our goals in influencing corporations and governments to switch to renewable energy.

Since the inception of Re-energise, 21 major Australian companies have accelerated their shift towards going 100% renewable by 2025. Bunnings, Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, and ALDI are some of the trusted brands taking steps towards operating on renewable energy. Queensland recently announced a large investment in renewable energy, and other Australian states are upping their game in the renewables race.

We also independently ranked Australia’s best (and worst) energy providers and created a new online resource to help you switch to cleaner electricity; The Green Electricity Guide.

Now that we’ve Re-energised, it’s time to Electrify! One of the biggest industries holding Australia back is the transport industry, and this issue will be the first step of the Electrify campaign.

Transport is the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. This is why we need to transition to cleaner cars and zero-emissions vehicles. Additionally, Australia has no fuel efficiency standards. This makes it more economical for large companies like Toyota to send their most polluting vehicles to Australia.

Fuel efficiency standards typically improve over time, forcing corporations to adopt better practices, or face financial penalties. In the UK and EU markets, petrol cars are expected to be phased out between 2030 and 2035 thanks to fuel efficiency standards. But Australia is lagging far behind.

In September this year, Greenpeace launched ‘The Toyota Files’. An online platform highlighting the car manufacturer’s role in blocking Australia’s transition to electric vehicles. In August, a Sydney Morning Herald article exposed Toyota’s ‘secret plan’ to block better fuel efficiency standards through their influence in the Australian Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

Vehicle manufacturing companies can have a massive impact on reducing Australia’s emissions. But cars are just the first step. Long term, we want to see more investment in bikes, e-bikes, rail, trams, and buses to give people accessible and affordable transport options that are good for the environment. To do this, we will be putting pressure on both the government, and corporations like Toyota.

While we want to convince big corporations to make the switch to renewable energy and electric vehicles, we don’t accept donations from any of them. This is why your generous support is so fundamental to sustaining campaigns like Electrify, which in turn help sustain us all.

In just over a year, AGL has gone from being a company that took Greenpeace to court for calling it out as Australia’s biggest climate polluter, to now taking significant steps towards decarbonisation and bringing coal closure forward by a decade.

When Greenpeace first launched its campaign against AGL, Loy Yang A was slated to close in 2048. The amount of climate pollution averted by bringing the closure date forward to 2035 is the equivalent of half Australia’s total yearly emissions[1]. However, with the UN and International Energy Agency warning that Australia’s coal power stations must close by 2030, AGL still has more to do.

David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said while the move was a leap forward for people power and the climate, the coming months represented a test for AGL’s new leadership.

“This is a change which will make a real difference to the climate. When Greenpeace started piling pressure on AGL in early 2021, the company planned to run the filthy and decrepit Loy Yang A out to 2048. The commitment to close it by 2035 has a real, tangible benefit to Australia and the world.

“Let’s be blunt. This is long overdue. AGL has been a corporate muppet-show ignoring obvious trends in the sector. From trying to sue Greenpeace for calling it out as Australia’s biggest climate polluter to bringing coal closure forward by a decade, AGL today serves as an example of the power of community and investor activism and as a warning to those who continue to put an ideological obsession with fossil fuels ahead of customers, employees, shareholders, and the environment.

“However, AGL is still AGL. Five years of burning dirty coal beyond what science calls for is a long time. Coal is the biggest threat to a safer climate future, and a terrible financial investment, as AGL’s catastrophic share price and plunging reputation shows. And with the company still yet to develop a decarbonisation pathway to achieve net zero Scope 3 emissions by 2050, it is clear much more needs to be done.

“Australia is moving at lightning speed towards renewables, which have driven Australia’s electricity prices down to rank amongst the cheapest in the world, making coal-burning power stations a risky and dangerous investment.

“AGL’s new leadership must acknowledge and embrace this reality, and they must do so now. History will judge them not by incremental updates, but whether they can seize the opportunities of the clean energy transition. This means bringing Loy Yang A’s closure further forward to 2030, committing to closing its Bayswater coal-burning power station by the same date, and helping households to switch off expensive, toxic gas and electrify.

“We will be watching – with no less scrutiny, but a little more hope, and renewed confidence in what the climate movement, local communities, and shareholders can achieve.”

—ENDS—

Notes

[1] Loy Yang A emissions are currently at 19.3Mt (Scope 1 and 2) per annum, and the move to close the coal-burning power station by 2035 will save 251Mt compared to the 2048 closure date slated at the start of Greenpeace’s campaign.

The reported appointment of Paula Dwyer, who was most recently Chairman of Tabcorp, is a blatant missed opportunity to appoint a Chair with renewable energy experience – an ironic misstep after the company failed to seize the clean energy transition and then failed to cover this up with its derailed dodgy demerger. 

Glenn Walker, Greenpeace Australia Pacific senior campaigner, said the reported appointment is a missed opportunity, a serious misstep, and a concerning prelude to its looming strategic review. 

“AGL lost the war over its demerger and now it seems determined to lose its shareholder value, its future, and its opportunity to help Australians switch off expensive, dirty fossil fuels as it fumbles the opportunity of the energy transition.

“As Australia’s biggest climate polluter, AGL failed time and time again to seize the opportunities of, and act in line with, the clean energy transition. The reported appointment of an ex-gambling executive as Chair over a candidate with renewable energy experience shows a grave and fundamental failure to learn from its mistakes.

“AGL has already seen the power of shareholder activism. It now risks a contested AGM by putting in place a controversial, unsuitable Chair. If the remaining members of AGL’s Board cannot understand the energy transition, the least it could do is appoint someone who does.

“The company now faces a big test with the looming release of a strategic review kicked off when its dodgy demerger failed. AGL must show it has learnt lessons from its previous failures by bringing forward the closure of its dirty coal-burning power stations to 2030 and getting ahead of the game to help households switch off expensive, toxic gas and electrify.”

—ENDS—

Sam Regester, Campaigns Manager for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said:

“This is an important day for Australia, and one which we hope will mark a turning point in our country’s dangerous climate trajectory, But now the serious, practical work of reducing Australia’s emissions and protecting Australians and our Pacific neighbours from rapidly worsening climate change must begin in earnest.

“The Albanese Government, and everyone in the House of Representatives and the Senate who worked together to support and improve this foundational piece of climate legislation, are to be congratulated.

“While the Climate Bill provides a framework to build on, the work that lies ahead is significant. If we are to have a safer climate future, there is no room for any new coal and gas projects, as has been repeatedly emphasized by the United Nations and International Energy Agency.

“Australia must also significantly strengthen its legislated 43% emissions reduction by 2030 target. To remain consistent with our global commitments and the climate ambition required to protect Australians and the Pacific from catastrophic climate impacts, Australia’s emissions reduction must increase to at least 75% by 2030.

“For too long Australia’s big climate polluters, such as gas giant Woodside and coal-burning power company AGL, have gotten a free pass to pollute through the currently weak Safeguards Mechanism. The next step for the Albanese Government, now it has moved to put Australia’s climate progress back on track, is to significantly strengthen the Safeguard Mechanism to ensure that high-emitting businesses do their fair share of the work needed to put us on a path to a safer climate future.

—ENDS—

This morning AGL reported that its annual profit had sunk by 58 per cent to $225 million, the composition of the board remains unchanged and board member Diane Smith-Gander will remain at the company longer than previously stated. [1]

“AGL’s lame duck leaders need to leave immediately and should have nothing to do with the strategic review that is currently underway. Investors should be deeply alarmed by the slow pace of change and the fact that outgoing directors with a track record of failure still have influence over this crucial process,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner Glenn Walker said.

“At the heart of AGL’s financial and environmental failures is the dead weight of coal, specifically AGL’s decrepit power stations that spend as much time broken down as they do generating dirty power. AGL CEO Graeme Hunt trying to paint the unreliability of his coal burning power stations as ‘a confluence of planned and unplanned outages’ are weasel words aimed at deflecting responsibility for a failure to plan for the future.”

“AGL’s current leadership seem to be in no rush to break their ties with coal despite soaring prices and maintenance bills and a political and business climate that has shifted rapidly in favour of emissions reduction through clean energy like wind and solar.

“AGL has the potential to be a climate leader by closing its coal burning power stations by 2030 and working with their large household customer base to switch off gas appliances to electrification. But it needs new and experienced leaders to step up to steer it in the right direction.” 

AGL’s strategic review is expected in September, following a horror year for the company which saw its attempt to demerge, and hive off its polluting coal-burning assets into a separate company, sunk following shareholder pressure.

—ENDS—

Notes

[1] https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2924-02555213-2A1391790?access_token=83ff96335c2d45a094df02a206a39ff4 

A Greenpeace investigation revealed that AGL was Australia’s biggest climate polluter by a long shot. 85% of their electricity came from burning coal, and as the owners and operators of three of the largest coal-burning power stations in the country, they were acting as a dam wall to a flood of renewable energy into Australia.

We knew that if we want to transform Australia’s energy system, we needed to start with AGL. AGL’s transformation from Australia’s biggest climate polluter to one of Australia’s biggest climate solutions is now well underway. It has been one of the most dramatic in Australian corporate history.

Our new film Power Play is the story of how Greenpeace and our supporters, along with a diverse group of people and organisations waged a strategic campaign against AGL and its leadership team; challenging the company’s false clean and green image, turning away its customers, threatening its funding sources, and convincing its shareholders to take action.

Read more at https://www.greenpeace.org.au/act/agl