The latest Green Electricity Guide, from Greenpeace Australia Pacific, has revealed the greenest electricity providers in Australia, with Enova Energy and Diamond Energy coming out on top and AGL, Australia’s biggest electricity provider, having its shocking climate record exposed at the bottom of the rankings.
AGL’s response to the report is here.
Greenpeace’s latest edition of the Green Electricity Guide reveals:
- Enova Energy and Diamond Energy are tied for first place with a perfect 5 star score. Diamond offers 100% renewable electricity, is a large investor in renewable energy, and offers active support for household solar, while Enova gives half of its profits back to the community, and sources electricity via customer distributed solar panels.
- AGL, Australia’s biggest energy provider, placed dead last with a score of just 1 star. The energy giant’s plan to burn coal until 2048, frequent local environmental harm, and continued coal mining have seen it slump to the bottom of the pack, alongside coal-burning power companies Origin and Energy Australia.
- Powershop, which ranked first in the last Green Electricity Guide (2018), has fallen to 10th place due to its new ownership. Powershop’s anticipated acquisition by fossil fuel giant Shellsaw a reported 6,000 customers move away, demonstrating the strong consumer concern around where their money ends up and any connection a provider has in furthering the climate crisis.
- Switching to a greener electricity provider is one of the most effective ways climate-concerned Australians can take action on emissions. Doing so helps tackle the climate crisis by forcing dirty polluting coal out, and bringing more renewable energy in.
You can view the full rankings here.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific senior campaigner Glenn Walker said the Guide not only highlights the climate shortcomings of many electricity providers, but gives consumers the tools they need to take action and switch.
“Australians can play a crucial role in transforming the country’s electricity system by switching to a greener electricity provider, forcing dirty polluting coal out, and bringing more renewable energy in.
“By moving away from a provider that invests your money in fossil fuels to one that generates their own renewable electricity or buys energy from renewable generators you can vote with your wallet and send a signal to Australian energy companies that you want them to get serious about tackling climate change.
“The Guide also helps cut through the increasingly common practice of greenwashing. Many companies continue using dirty coal, while spruiking the use of carbon offsets which often do more harm than good by delaying meaningful action on climate change.”
Mr Walker said AGL’s fall to the lowest rank provider in the Guide was further demonstration of its awful climate credentials.
“AGL is Australia’s biggest climate polluter, accounting for about 8 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. 83 per cent of AGL’s generation comes from burning coal, and the company continues to hide behind greenwashing efforts and a dodgy planned demerger instead of taking meaningful action to reverse its destructive climate impact.”
“This ranking is yet another damning indictment of AGL’s disregard for the environment and their customers. Rather than take any meaningful action, the company continues to hide behind marketing slogans, even going as far to propose a split in the organisation to hide its destructive climate impact.
Naama Lev said her experience of switching was quick and easy, and hoped to send a message to the sector to clean up its act.
“As a mum with three kids, looking after their future is my number one priority. The idea that their future could be impacted by climate change is really scary.
“We’ve been with AGL for 11 years. They had all the right marketing in place so we felt like it was a trustworthy company, but learning that they’re Australia’s biggest climate polluter and most of their electricity still comes from coal made me feel cheated.
“Being a busy working mum, I thought switching providers might be a big hassle, but the Green Electricity Guide made life easy. I had no problems switching quickly to a greener energy provider.
“Finding out we can make such a big impact by switching power companies really gives me hope. Together we can influence these big companies by where we spend our money, and help build a safer future for our kids.”
Total Environment Centre energy market advocate Mark Byrne, who was one of the founders of the Guide, said: “Australia’s energy market has evolved substantially over the past eight years, and the latest guide reflects the shift to more renewable and decentralised energy over that time.”
About the Guide
The Green Electricity Guide was developed using six main criteria – provides clean, renewable energy; commitment to ending coal use by 2030; halting fossil fuel expansion; support for new renewable energy; transparency in marketing; and pollution and environmental harm.
Today, around 76 per cent of Australia’s electricity still comes from the burning of fossil fuels and Australia has the highest greenhouse gas emissions from coal power in the world on a per capita basis. With 28 of the 48 providers scoring 3 stars or below, it is clear there is much more to be done for electricity providers to take action to combat the climate crisis.
