SYDNEY – 23 July 2024 – Greenpeace Australia Pacific has today condemned the Federal Resources Minister’s announcement that gives fossil fuel producers a green light for more toxic, polluting gas ‘exploration’ across our coasts.

Additionally, Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King has announced that ten permits will be provided for offshore carbon capture and storage exploration.

“Billions of taxpayer dollars have already been wasted on the failed carbon dumping fantasies of gas executives. How many times do these projects need to fail before we see them for what they are – a distraction from the clean energy solutions we have available right now,” Greenpeace Australia Pacific Head of Climate and Energy Joe Rafalowicz said.

“Just as farmers stopped carbon being dumped into the Great Artesian Basin poisoning our water supply, Australians won’t stand for oil companies burying their carbon pollution in our oceans.

“Greedy fossil fuel companies, like Woodside, use every excuse under the sun to keep drilling our oceans for gas – even the magical ‘carbon dumping unicorn’ – but the future lies in proven renewables like wind and solar.

“Allowing new carbon dumping permits is a step backwards for this Government: the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the world’s top scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been clear – even if CCS worked (which it doesn’t), there is no justification for any new fossil fuel projects in a world going to net zero.

“A Government that is serious about climate action will stop spending millions of taxpayer funds on carbon dumping, and would instead invest in a just, affordable, rapid clean energy transition.

“The Albanese Government should be setting out their timeline to implement the agreement they signed at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, not approving permits for new gas and throwing money at half-baked ideas that prolong it.”

In May the Federal Government released its ‘Future Gas Strategy’ – which Greenpeace Australia Pacific called “a betrayal of the Labor Government’s commitment to the Australian and Pacific communities to deliver urgent, accelerated climate action.”

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

Carbon capture and storage a “failed experiment”