One global strategy is to group the fossil fuel methane (commonly known as natural gas) with other gases such as hydrogen to increase its acceptance.
One Gas Union message that has not stood the test of time is the “safe and continuous supply of gas” from Russia to Europe.
Almost immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine, the industry turned to touting the benefits of U.S. LNG for European energy security, InfluenceMap reports.
InfluenceMap believes that many of the Gas Alliance’s statements are inconsistent with the 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report “Mitigating Climate Change”.
While the intergovernmental panel estimates that future emissions from existing gas and coal infrastructure will push the world beyond the 1.5-degree global warming target set by the Paris Agreement, the Gas Alliance has called on major producers, including Australia, to undertake new of production, Australia (along with Qatar) is the largest LNG exporter.
One factor limiting climate ambition is the ability of incumbent industries to influence government action, as they are often stronger and more concentrated than businesses that would benefit from a faster energy transition, the IGG report said.
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“The interplay of politics, power, and economics is central to explaining why countries with higher per capita emissions, which logically have more opportunities to reduce emissions, tend to take opposing positions in practice.”
Australia produces more carbon pollution per capita than any other G20 country except Saudi Arabia and Canada, and more than twice as much as China.
Holder said the Australian gas industry had adopted a similar communication approach as other countries, including focusing on the benefits of gas as a direct replacement for coal, but also highlighted how Australia could help Asia.
When this argument is seriously undermined This header shows Woodside commissioned a report from CSIRO in support of its $17.6bn Scarborough gas export project, but it was not released to the public.
The CSIRO report found that, in most cases, there would be no net emissions benefit from supplying more gas to key Asian markets, mainly because cheaper gas would slow the shift to renewable energy.
The complexities of the energy transition make it difficult for companies to be held accountable for their impact on climate policy, Holder said.
“The greenwashing of the oil and gas industry is part of their broader efforts to delay and undermine climate policy,” she said.
But she said pressure from investors would help.
Australian Center for Corporate Responsibility puts pressure on Santos in 2021 federal court case Alleges the company breached Australian Consumer Law by misleading investors about the viability of its ambitious plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.
Internal communications disclosed by Santos during the legal discovery process include some of the claimed emissions reductions being described as “speculative” and that the estimated contribution of expanding carbon storage is “a nominal figure that makes up the difference” to achieve the net-zero target.
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In 2023, the Albanese government plans to legislate mandatory disclosure of climate-related risks by companies and financial institutions.
There are also international initiatives to regulate opposition to obstructive lobbying, Holder said, while she advises bureaucrats and politicians to be skeptical.
Tatiana Khanberg, director of communications for the gas union, encouraged “everyone to draw their own conclusions based on the facts.”
The position of Australian gas producers
Origin Energy concluded in August that it was only partially aligned with the gas alliance because it “has no clear formal position on the goals of the Paris agreement.” The generator, retailer and gas exporter did retain members qualification, and said it saw value in trying to change the perception of the organization from within.
Australia’s largest listed gas producers, Woodside and Santos, both expressed support for the Paris Agreement but came to opposite conclusions when they reviewed their trade association memberships in 2020 and 2021 respectively: gas unions and their commitment to fighting climate change way remains consistent.
Woodside leaving the gas union said it was not a business priority but a spokeswoman said it was reconsidering because it had more overseas interests after Acquisition of BHP Billiton’s oil division.
