NAB was forced to lay bare its contradictory climate and environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies highlighting the vast discrepancy between what the bank says, and what it does during question-time at its annual general meeting (AGM) in Melbourne.
Westpac makes no apology for continuing to back dirty coal
12 December 2018 Westpac’s hypocrisy – their statements on climate against the reality of their loan book – was a major theme at the big four bank’s annual general meeting today in Perth. And despite supporting the 2015 Paris climate agreement Westpac’s board made no apology for continuing to lend … Read More
Washington H. Soul Pattinson flies the coal flag and tells concerned shareholders to “sell their shares”
7 December 2018 “We continue to believe in the long term need and demand for coal” the CEO of Washington H. Soul Pattinson (WHSP), Todd Barlow told shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) in Sydney today. It quickly became clear that climate change was a hostile topic for … Read More
QBE staff get donuts as QBE scores donuts on climate action scorecard
Tuesday 4 December 2018 This morning staff arriving at global insurance company QBE’s head office in Sydney were offered free donuts by Market Forces volunteers. The donuts represent QBE’s shameful zero scores on the international insurance climate scorecard released this week. Twenty-four global insurance companies were rated on their coal … Read More
QBE falling behind competitors on climate action
Monday 3 December 2018 All over the world, the damage humans are doing to our climate is increasingly evident. Heat records are being smashed, droughts are taking their toll, floods and bushfires are costing lives and homes. Both the UN and the International Energy Agency have released reports proving that … Read More
Karoon Gas: not quite the environmentalist it claims to be
30 November 2018 “We are at heart environmentalists,” CEO Robert Hosking of oil explorer and soon-to-be producer, Karoon Gas told shareholders at today’s annual general meeting in Melbourne. The company, which is about to drill an offshore oil well in Peru that has a CO2 emissions potential of 110 million tonnes … Read More
Resource Generation – “dead” without Noble Group’s backing
30 November 2018 Resource Generation (Resgen) has only one asset — a coal mine they want to build in South Africa. They haven’t yet been able to reach financial close for this mine but that was not the only issue raised at their annual general meeting in Brisbane today. India’s … Read More
Vision Super dumps coal and tar sands
This week industry super fund Vision Super, whose membership is mainly made up of Victorian local government employees, announced that it will begin selling off its thermal coal and tar sands company shares. This positive and responsible move means Vision Super members’ money will no longer be used to fund … Read More
Seven Group and Beach Energy dragging their feet on climate disclosure
23 November 2018 Seven Group Holdings has a diverse portfolio that includes industrial services (Coates Hire, CAT dealerships), oil and gas (SGH Energy), and media (41% share in Seven West Media which includes the Seven Network and the West Australian newspaper). Seven Group also has a 29% stake in Beach … Read More
Climate a hot issue at Bluescope Steel’s annual general meeting
23 November 2018 “Our targets are based on the… Australian [emissions] requirement” chairman John Bevan told shareholders at Bluescope Steel’s annual general meeting (AGM) today in Sydney, where climate change was a hot topic. Whilst acknowledging support for the global Paris climate accord, the steel manufacturing giant said its emissions … Read More