CCWA: LNG Industry must quit the carbon pollution greenwash

[This media release was issued by the Conservation Council of WA on 12 April 2011.]

Western Australia’s peak environment group has challenged the LNG industry to come clean on its massive carbon pollution and stop making false claims about LNG as a clean fuel source.

Conservation Council Director Piers Verstegen said “The LNG industry cannot continue to hide behind ‘clean energy’ claims that are simply not supported by the evidence.

“The clean energy claim is totally incongruous with the reality that the LNG industry is likely to be the single greatest contributor to carbon pollution growth in WA and Australia over the next ten years.

“In Western Australia, the LNG industry has well and truly overtaken coal burning as the largest source of carbon pollution.

“Extracting and processing LNG is an extremely pollution-intensive exercise.

“If allowed to proceed without controls on their pollution, LNG projects will well and truly blow Australia’s national carbon pollution budget.

“Plans to expand LNG production are expected to double Western Australia’s carbon pollution and increase Australia’s total carbon pollution by 10% well before 2020.[1]

“The LNG industry have never provided a shred of evidence to support their claim that LNG is displacing other dirtier fuel sources and we challenge the industry to release evidence to support this statement.

“Rather than displacing coal, it is likely that LNG is actually displacing cleaner energy sources such as renewable energy.

“If these massive LNG projects are allowed to go ahead without controlling their emissions or paying for their pollution, then the rest of the Australian economy will be forced to pay their massive carbon bill.

“The LNG industry must quit the carbon pollution greenwash and quit trying to make ordinary Australians pay its carbon pollution bill.” concluded Mr. Verstegen

Media: Piers Verstegen- 0411 557 892

[1] LNG Projects contributing to this massive pollution growth include: Gorgon – 5.45 MTPA, Pluto – up to 4.1 MTPA, Wheatstone - up to 15 MTPA, Browse – up to 36 MTPA, Prelude - 2.3 MTPA (MTPA = Million Tons per Annum Carbon Pollution )

CCWA
Telephone: (08) 9420 7266
City West Lotteries House 2 Delhi Street
West Perth, WA 6005