The gas industry has grown into Western Australia’s (WA’s) largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Five facilities in WA have been a key driver of rising carbon emissions nationally, while the overturned state-wide fracking ban could drive up further emissions.
All this in a critical decade for climate action when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned of the need to drastically reduce emissions in order to avoid tipping over 1.5 or even 2 degrees of warming.
Gas corporations continue to profit from their unabated pollution by maintaining influence over those who hold the power and responsibility to curb the industry’s emissions. Elected officials are cautious to take steps to curb the fossil fuel industry’s emissions, and show support for further expansion, despite the consequences this would have for the climate.
The purpose of this report is to highlight the ways in which the gas industry holds considerable influence over the WA Government