Leaked video shows Adani still plans biggest coal mine in Australia

Leaked video of Adani Australia’s CEO shows the company is still planning to dig Australia’s biggest-ever coal mine.

On its website Adani says the rail line is being built ‘to manage the Carmichael mine’s 10 million tonne yearly production rate’, but secretly recorded footage of Adani CEO Lucas Dow reveals the company will be ‘moving up to 60 million tonnes’.

“Adani has again been caught out misleading Australians about its plans,” said Australian Conservation Foundation senior campaigner Christian Slattery.

“No one can feel confident Adani won’t continue to prioritise its own secretive interests over those of Australians and a safe climate.”

Documents obtained by the ABC show Sodexo, a French multinational food services and facilities management company with a much-stated commitment to ‘social and environmental responsibility’, is contracted to service Adani’s Carmichael coal project.

The documents show Sodexo has signed a contract with Adani to provide hospitality and facilities management services to construction camps working on Adani’s rail line.

“Sodexo’s decision to work on Adani’s climate-wrecking coal mine is shameful,” Christian Slattery said.

“The coal in the Galilee Basin is one of the world’s biggest carbon bombs and Sodexo is helping detonate it.

“By shackling its brand to Adani’s toxic coal mine, Sodexo has damaged its international reputation as an environmentally responsible business.

“It is simply not credible to say you support action on climate change while working on enormous new coal mines.

“Sodexo will be held accountable by the millions of people around the world that are demanding stronger climate action from governments and companies.

“If Sodexo wants to limit the damage to its reputation, it should confirm that it will do no further work with Adani beyond current contracts.

“In 2020 there is no social licence for companies to support new fossil fuel projects.”

Sodexo has 470,000 employees across 67 countries and approximately €22 billion (AU$36 billion) in annual revenue.

Sodexo says it is committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2025, a target it says aligns with the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Sodexo says it “provide[s] management services that reduce carbon emissions” (Sodexo Snapshot FY19).

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the 2019 SAM Sustainability Yearbook have both ranked Sodexo #1 in its sector for sustainability.

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