For the first time the massive climate impact of Woodside’s expansion plans has been laid bare by new analysis that shows the proposed Burrup Hub gas mega project in Western Australia’s Pilbara would be the largest new fossil fuel project in the Southern Hemisphere.
This startling analysis, released today by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), places the Burrup Hub in a national and international context and finds:
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Lifetime emissions from the Burrup Hub would be more than 13 times Australia’s annual emissions from all sources (and more than 73 times New Zealand’s annual emissions).
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The Burrup Hub would be the largest new fossil fuel project in the Southern Hemisphere and would be in the top 10 biggest carbon bombs globally.
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Lifetime emissions from the Burrup Hub would be more than 30 times the total savings made by the federal government’s safeguard mechanism between now and 2030.
“Woodside’s proposed Burrup Hub gas mega project is a climate disaster in the making,” said ACF’s exports campaigner Elizabeth Sullivan.
“Woodside’s fossil gas is driving dangerous climate change and extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, bushfires, coral reef bleaching and floods.
“The existing Burrup gas export precinct operated by Woodside is already Australia’s largest carbon polluter, but the company’s plans to start sending gas from the vast new Scarborough and Browse gas reserves to an expanded Burrup Hub would detonate a new climate bomb.
“Despite the staggering amount of pollution that would result from Woodside’s expansion plans, to date there has been no comprehensive assessment of the impact of these developments on the climate, or on Australia’s national emissions reduction goals.
“What’s clear is that the Burrup Hub’s emissions profile would dwarf the emissions saved by the Albanese government’s safeguard mechanism out to 2030.
“Almost all the gas produced by Woodside’s Burrup Hub would be exported, not be used by Australian households or manufacturers.
“The Albanese government will soon make decisions on whether or not to approve aspects of the Scarborough and Browse gas projects and a 50-year extension to the North West Shelf.
“To allow these projects to proceed would recklessly undermine international efforts on climate change and seriously damage Australia’s credibility on these issues,” she said.
Ahead of Woodside’s annual meeting next month, large super funds are pushing the gas giant to improve its emissions profile.
ACF’s case asking the Federal Court to stop the Scarborough gas project until its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is assessed will go to trial on 2 September 2024.
