A week of shame: how the fossil fuel lobby runs Western Australia

On 7 March 2019, the Western Australia Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) announced new guidelines which would require any new project emitting more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon to offset those emissions.

The climate villains in WA leapt into action. They began a week of intense lobbying. And they emerged victorious.

Just seven days later on 14 March, WA Premier Mark McGowan confirmed that the WA Environmental Protection Authority would withdraw the proposed guidelines. In doing so, Premier McGowan confirmed who really runs climate policy in WA, and indeed Australia.

Front page of The West Australian on 8 March 2019.

A week of shame:

• March 7: WA EPA recommends ‘offsets for proposals with direct emissions above 100,000 tonnes of CO2e pa’
• March 7: APPEA urges WA government and EPA ‘to put aside the guidelines’
• Marcy 7: CME WA urges WA government ‘to reassure industry that they will not adopt these guidelines as their policy’
• March 8: WA Premier notes he has ‘received feedback’ from project proponents
• March 8: BCA calls EPA proposal ‘reckless’ and calls on the WA Govt to reject them
• March 8: Prime Minister Scott Morrison describes guidelines as ‘unworkable’
• March 8: Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan describes guidelines as a ‘homemade sledgehammer’
• March 9: Woodside CEO Peter Coleman says WA Premier must ‘fix mess’
• March 11: Woodside CEO Peter Coleman confirms he has encouraged his peers to complain to the WA Premier
• March 11: Woodside runs full page ad in The West Australian

Woodside’s full page advertisement in The West Australian on 11 March 2019.

• March 12: WA Environment Minister criticises EPA guidelines
• March 13: CMEWA runs full page ad in the West Australian
• March 13: Woodside CEO Peter Coleman says WA Premier ‘must sort out the confusion the EPA has introduced’
• March 13: Woodside’s Meg O’Neill claims the guidelines would destroy jobs
• March 14: WA Energy Minister criticises EPA guidelines
• March 14: Senior executives of Santos, Woodside, Chevron and Shell meet with WA State Premier at Parliament
• March 14: WA Premier confirms the EPA will withdraw guidelines announced on March 7