In response to the Albanese government’s Future Gas Strategy, the Australian Conservation Foundation’s national climate program manager Gavan McFadzean said:
“The government’s Future Gas Strategy, which envisages Australia opening massive new gas fields and continuing to burn and export the fossil fuel well beyond 2050, is a blueprint for climate disaster and should be abandoned.
“As climate scientists warn the planet is headed for at least 2.5°C of heating it beggars belief Australia’s government would release a plan to detonate the Scarborough, Browse, Barossa and Beetaloo carbon bombs.
“The Albanese government’s Future Gas Strategy resembles the Morrison government’s ‘gas-fired recovery’ and reads as if it was written by gas giants Woodside and Santos.
“This strategy is a kick in the guts to the millions of Australians who voted in the Albanese government in May 2022, believing it signalled a new dawn for climate action.
“Gas is a highly polluting fossil fuel, the burning of which is supercharging bushfires, heatwaves, coral bleaching and flooding in Australia and around the world.
“Exploiting new gas fields is incompatible with the Future Made in Australia vision to help regions that have traditionally relied on fossil fuel production transition to clean energy.
“To replace one fossil fuel with another is not a clean energy transition.
“The strategy’s blind faith in the effectiveness of carbon capture and storage – a technology with the sole purpose of extending the life of fossil fuel industries – is deeply concerning.
“It peddles a number of falsehoods, including the myth that there is a domestic gas shortage.
“The reality is gas generation in the east coast energy system has halved since 2014 to make up only 4.8% of the energy mix.
“After the historic Woodside AGM last month – where the gas giant’s climate strategy was rejected by a majority of shareholders – the government should know the public and investors expect a genuine transition away from fossil gas.
“This strategy is a plan for climate chaos and should be abandoned.”
