Media release: Rio faces shareholder revolt over emissions targets

Friday 8 May, 2020: 37% of investors have backed a climate resolution calling on Rio Tinto to set clear targets to cut emissions, including those generated by the-use of its products, or “Scope 3” emissions. While lower than record numbers at Santos and Woodside, the vote is more than six … Read More

Woodside fights historic investor demand for Paris-alignment

30 April 2020 A record-breaking 50% of Woodside Petroleum’s investors today voted in favour of a shareholder proposal calling on the company to align with the Paris climate goals. This is an incredible result, considering the Woodside board’s vehement opposition to the resolution. Coordinated by the Australasian Centre for Corporate … Read More

ANZ grilled on climate inaction and secret coal plan

17 December 2019 Coal lending was on the agenda two weeks before ANZ’s annual shareholder meeting in Brisbane today, as revelations hit the news that ANZ had a secret plan to slash its thermal coal mining loans by 75% (representing more than $700 million) by 2024. The secrecy of the … Read More

Westpac: a laggard on climate change

12 December 2019 Westpac’s board knew they would be facing fired-up shareholders at today’s annual general meeting (AGM) but perhaps weren’t prepared to bear the weight of responsibility for the impacts on communities and customers fighting the climate crisis.  Amid its recent scandals, the board was forced to address the … Read More

BHP commits to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050

7 November, 2019 BHP Chair Ken MacKenzie has publicly applauded the European Commission’s proposal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. However, until now it has been unclear as to whether BHP will adopt the same goals. This appears to have resolved at today’s annual general meeting in Sydney, where a … Read More

Super funds back Origin’s smoke and mirrors climate plan

16 October 2019 Origin Energy’s annual general meeting today was dominated by shareholder and community concerns over the climate, environmental and social impacts of the company’s dirty fossil fuel operations and plans. That’s not surprising given Origin is one of Australia’s biggest greenhouse gas polluters and has plans to prolong … Read More

Media release: Investors heap pressure on AGL

Thursday 19 September 2019 At today’s AGM in Sydney, over 30% of shareholders, worth more than AU$3.8bn, voted against management and in support of a resolution calling on the company to reduce emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Response from Will van de Pol, Market … Read More

AGL shareholders demand coal plant closure

19 September 2019 AGL shareholders today sent a strong message to Australia’s biggest climate polluter, with more than 30% voting in favour of a resolution demanding the company reduce emissions in line with the Paris climate goals. Only twice before has a climate change-related shareholder proposal received more than 20% … Read More

Media release: AGL management rejects climate resolution

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