MEDIA RELEASE
7 March 2025
As the impacts of Cyclone Alfred begin to land on south east Queensland and northern New South Wales, it is clear that the eventual clean up bill will be in the billions of dollars. It’s past time that coal and gas corporations pay to clean up their mess.
“A tropical cyclone in the subtropics is highly unusual,” said Dr Barry Traill, Director of Solutions for Climate Australia. “In 2024 we saw the highest ocean temperatures on record. This warming is caused by pollution from coal and gas, making storms and floods like Cycle Alfred more more likely and more intense. As we have seen in the last decade.
“All Australians - residents, businesses, and local councils - are paying the appalling costs of these increasing un-natural disasters. As a volunteer firefighter, I know how resilient and capable communities are, but we need money and resources to recover. It is absolutely time that coal and gas corporations and their billionaire owners pay for the appalling damage caused by their pollution.”
Former Deputy Mayor of Lismore, and longtime resident of Northern Rivers region, Simon Clough, says coal and gas corporations have a moral responsibility to pay for the damage from the increasing unnatural climate disasters caused by their pollution.
“This will be the third major flooding event in Lismore in eight years. The city still has not been rebuilt from previous floods. People are still devastated and many still don’t have homes and are deeply distressed that this is coming at them again.
“Coal and gas corporations have been making super profits off our resources for decades. Their pollution is making these events more intense and more frequent. Communities like Lismore should not have to pay to clean up their mess. It’s time corporations like Santos, Woodside, Whitehaven and Glencore pay up.
“I’m calling on the coal and gas corporations like Woodside and Glenore to pay residents, businesses and local councils for the damage they cause. I’m calling on Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton to commit to making sure that they stop new pollution, and that the corporations pay for these un-natural disasters from here on.
“Our councils and our communities can’t be expected to keep copping these disasters out of our own pockets. The polluters need to pay for the extreme damage they are causing,” he said.
Some top polluters who dig up Australian coal and gas:
|
Corporation |
Total pollution (1854-2023) MtCO2e *Source |
2024 Profit (AUD) |
|
Chevron |
58,598 |
$28,051,668,000 |
|
Glencore |
6,642 |
$6,300,000,000 |
|
Woodside |
995 |
$3,570, 000,000 |
|
Santos |
873 |
$1,200,000,000 |
|
Whitehaven Coal |
465 |
$740,000,000 |
ENDS
For interview:
Director of Solutions for Climate Australia Dr Barry Traill: 0448 793 334
Senior Campaigner at Solutions for Climate Australia Elly Baxter: 0407 163 921