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Folks: it's time for a quick thread about why major fossil fuel companies are trying to both expand their supply of harmful products while loading up with "net zero" targets. Today - it's @SantosLtd.
Let's dive in -with reference to my latest @AustCCR:
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
Let's dive in -with reference to my latest @AustCCR:
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
There are two types of emissions associated with a company that digs up and sell fossil fuels:
- The emissions from making the product (scope1+2)
- The emissions released when it's used normally (scope 3)
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
Eg, here's Santos:
- The emissions from making the product (scope1+2)
- The emissions released when it's used normally (scope 3)
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
Eg, here's Santos:
The trick currently being used by companies that supply the products that cause climate change = promising they'll make the *production process* clean, not the *usage*.
Aka "No one in our tobacco factory smokes"
Aka "No one in our tobacco factory smokes"
So: Santos have a short term target to reduce emissions by 5% before 2025. Except....wait a minute. There's a caveat there - Cooper Basin and Queensland only. It doesn't even cover all of the emissions from making their product!
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
Jeez. Okay - what about their net zero by 2040 plan for their 'product making' emissions?
Like most, they weight most of their promised action just before the deadline, instead of acting now (by cutting down on production). It's about the PR hit of the promise, not action today
Like most, they weight most of their promised action just before the deadline, instead of acting now (by cutting down on production). It's about the PR hit of the promise, not action today
Part of the involves the Moomba CCS plant expanding ~20 times in size (1.7 mtpa to 40 mtpa) by 2050. Except 40 MT only covers Scope1-3 emissions for *one single year* on today's emissions - before their expansion plans kick in.
While the technologies and processes they promise will simply cancel out the entire climate impact of their business continue to massively under-deliver and fail, they aggressively promise to *expand* their business. By ~60%, to 2040:
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
Santos claim to - by 2030 - be able to "offset" 1 MTCO2-e of the emissions from using their product.
Except - again - in one year *now*, that's 25 MTCO2-e. In 2030 it'll be 40 or higher.
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
Except - again - in one year *now*, that's 25 MTCO2-e. In 2030 it'll be 40 or higher.
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
I have a big chunk at the end of my piece about something really important: the parallels between the tobacco and fossil fuel industries are not just historical. They are both frantically using the exact same deceptions to fend off public scrutiny.
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
The latest 'smoke free tobacco' in the fossil fuel industry: "low carbon" / "carbon neutral" FFs
The trick here: there's no information what type of offsets are used. It's probably trees: deeply controversial.
https://www.oxylowcarbon.com/news/worlds-first-shipment-of-carbon-neutral-oil https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-nature-conservancy-carbon-offsets-trees/
The trick here: there's no information what type of offsets are used. It's probably trees: deeply controversial.
https://www.oxylowcarbon.com/news/worlds-first-shipment-of-carbon-neutral-oil https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-nature-conservancy-carbon-offsets-trees/
These plans are being put in place not to reduce emissions but to justify increased supply of a harmful product into society. They are the 2021 analogue of wide-eyed climate denial - they serve the same purpose. Worse: they are not *obviously* harmful.
It is not just the emissions. Even if you could capture 100% of emissions, they still bring massive harm to communities across Australia, particularly those who've suffered at the hands of extractive industries for centuries. #gamilmeansno https://989fm.com.au/listen/programs/lets-talk/gamil-means-no/
"I lied: there is no tree like this on my country. There is no tree because in 2015, for the expansion of the Whitehaven coal mine, it was cut down" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/03/gamil-means-no-dont-be-quiet-while-mining-threatens-our-collective-future
A major part of fossil fuel expansion in Australia - and around the world - is going to lean on abusing our instinct to take plans for improvement on good faith. They'll gobble up those who listen with genuine open hearts and spit out barrels of oil and piles of coal.
I've got more coming up on this, for @AustCCR and across all my work, but it's really going to be important that we start to create solid baselines and standards and expectations around these plans - because they could become a new conduit of climate harm https://ketanj0.medium.com/new-packaging-same-great-taste-why-fossil-fuel-companies-cant-admit-the-problem-is-the-product-7adc8ed95f1d
Oh also, I forgot to tweet this other day and it really belongs here. Nice spot to end.
https://www.pmi.com/sustainability/climate-change
https://www.pmi.com/sustainability/climate-change
