One of Australia’s largest fossil fuel projects has officially been extended by four decades to 2070. The North West Shelf project extension comes days before the federal government is expected to announce its emission reduction targets for 2035. Australia, being one of the world’s biggest polluters per capita, has pledged to reduce its emissions by 43% by 2030. This will be done by gradually reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Critics suggest that the extension will hurt global climate goals, but Environment Minister Murray Watt said that it includes dozens of new, strict conditions. The oil and gas giant Woodside Energy must also reduce certain gas emissions from the project by 2030 and reach net-zero goals by 2050. Alongside, new safeguards are in place to protect ancient Indigenous rock art in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
Responding to this, Woodside Energy Chief Operating Officer Liz Westcott welcomed the extension, saying that the company can continue providing reliable energy for 40 more years. The company’s license for the shelf was due to expire in 2030, but the extension received preliminary approval in May. The project now covers the processing and export plant at Karratha, close to the 600,000-year-old World Heritage-listed Murujuga rock art.
“I’m making this decision by imposing 48 strict conditions that will avoid and mitigate significant impact to the Murujuga rock art… (these conditions will ensure the project will) not cause unacceptable impact, including restricting air emissions, which otherwise could have accelerated damage,” stated Watt on Friday.
Climate Action in Australia
Climate groups have also opposed the extension, including the Australian Conservation Foundation. According to them, the project is a “carbon bomb” that will hinder global efforts to reduce rising temperatures. The leader of the Australian Greens, Larissa Waters, also said that it was “a betrayal and disastrous decision for the future of the planet.”
In the recent past, Australia has grappled with successive natural disasters, and climate experts warn that the country will face a future full of similar crises unless dramatic reductions in emissions are achieved. When Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came to power in 2022, there were promises to take greater action to conserve the country’s flora and fauna against climate change. However, the Labor government has been criticised time and again for its continued support of coal and gas projects.