8 August 2019 AGL’s management today advised shareholders to reject a resolution calling on the company, Australia’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, to reduce emissions in line with the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. “AGL’s argument against a common sense shareholder resolution appears to reject the science, which tells us … Read More
Media release: Commbank out of thermal coal by 2030
New fossil fuel projects must prove carbon compliance Wednesday 7 August 2019 In today’s commitment, made in the bank’s new Environmental and Social Framework, to exit thermal coal by 2030, Commonwealth Bank has issued a stark warning to industry and policy-makers that coal has no place in Australia’s future. Commonwealth … Read More
Media release: Suncorp dumps thermal coal
26 July 2019 In response to Market Forces lodging a shareholder resolution, Suncorp has revealed it is exiting the thermal coal sector, meaning there are now no Australian insurers willing to underwrite new thermal coal mines and power stations. A Suncorp spokesman told InsuranceNews, “Suncorp does not directly invest in, … Read More
Media release: QBE faces new shareholder resolution in wake of continued climate failure
25 February 2019 Environmental finance campaigning group Market Forces has reacted furiously to QBE’s annual results, which document another year of losses from large catastrophes with no action on climate change. QBE breathed a sigh of relief as it posted a modest profit in 2018. But the company’s balance sheet … Read More
Climate risk disclosure: Transurban still in the slow lane
“…we don’t consider it [climate change] to be one of the significant business risks or financial risks for Transurban” Marcus Laithwaite, auditor 11 October 2018 You might not have heard of the company, but chances are you’ve driven on one of their roads. Transurban operates major tollways in Australia … Read More
Media release: Korean Adani interest revealed in Freedom of Information request
Friday 5 October, 2018: A document released through Freedom of Information has revealed Korea responding positively to efforts by the Australian Government to promote Adani’s controversial Carmichael coal project. The document, sent from Seoul to Canberra in November 2016, follows a meeting between the Korean Export and Import Bank and … Read More
Media Release: Standard Chartered offers leadership on coal and climate change in key energy markets
Tuesday 25 September, 2018: Responding to the news that Standard Chartered has ruled out finance for “any new coal-fired power plant projects, including expansions, in any location“, Market Forces Executive Director Julien Vincent said: “This is what leadership on coal and climate change looks like. Decisions about how the world sources … Read More
Media release: New Japanese bank policies rule out a third of overseas coal plant finance
28 August 2018: New coal policies should rule out providing financial support to close to a third of the coal-fired power stations (by capacity) currently under consideration by Japan’s three major commercial banks, according to a new analysis released today by environmental finance group Market Forces. In implementing their new … Read More
Risks all round from Adani’s Abbot Point sale plans
23 May 2018. Adani’s plans to sell down their stake in the Abbot Point coal export terminal, with the aid of investment bank Rothschild, are a win for the Carmichael mega mine project and a clear threat to the campaign to stop it, say environmental finance advocates Market Forces (“Adani looks … Read More
Media release: New analysis shows most of Australia’s top companies have no climate plan
Wednesday 14 March, 2018: A major new study released today by environment finance group Market Forces has revealed many of Australia’s top 100 companies are failing to improve their climate risk disclosure. Of the 73 ‘high risk’ ASX100 companies analysed: Less than two thirds have acknowledged the Paris Agreement and/or the need … Read More