Australian government gaslights the nation as it puts Woodside ahead of the World and the Pacific

The Australian government's approval of Woodside's mammoth North West Shelf fossil gas project to operate until 2070 was today described by Climate Analytics CEO and Senior Scientist Bill Hare as "a dangerous decision that gaslights the nation, rejects climate science, undermines the ability of the world to achieve the Paris Agreement's 1.5C warming limit, and a slap in the face of our Pacific island neighbours."

He warned that this decision would qualify as the kind of  "wrongful act" set out in the recent International Court of Justice advisory decision on climate change,  and could see Australia and Woodside facing legal action in multiple jurisdictions.

He saw the timing of the decision, announced as Pacific Island leaders conclude their annual meeting, as "a complete rejection by  the Australia's the concerns of our Pacific island neighbours fighting for survival from the impacts of climate change."

"Anthony Albanese's claim that more fossil gas is needed for the energy transition is unscientific nonsense - it is gas industry propaganda raised to the level of state policy – and reflects a stampede toward more fossil fuels rather than a transition away."

Quick facts on NWS and Woodside's Burrup Hub (full briefing here)

• total emissions from Woodside's full Burrup Hub project (the North West Shelf and Pluto projects combined) will consume 6% of the remaining global carbon budget for 1.5˚C. It will impose six billion tonnes of CO2 removal obligations on future generations
• The NWS approval to 2070 allows Woodside to emit double its historical emissions
• It could allow about twice the cumulative GHG emissions to occur from 2026 until 2070 than have occurred since the project started in the 1980s.
• the total cumulative greenhouse gas emissions from the NWS LNG plant until 2070 would be 80% of the 1.5°C aligned pathway emissions for Australia as a whole, and Woodside's plant would be still emitting greenhouse gases 20 years after Australia is supposed to have gotten to net zero.
• Woodside’s Burrup Hub will cause 16,000 km² loss of September Arctic sea ice
• NWS emissions could cost USD 176 billion in extreme heat-related damages globally and Burrup Hub USD 272 billion

Warming from NWS emissions will continue for thousands of years: 30-40% of NWS CO2 emissions will remain in atmosphere in 100 years,10-20% in 10,000 years. 

                                          (Photo: Murujuga Rock Art courtesy of Save Our Songlines)