The Global Greenwashing Report #3
- John Pabon
- Sep 19
- 6 min read
Welcome to a very special edition of The Global Greenwashing Report. Today, we'll be discussing the wild week(ish) it's been in Aussie climate news.
The climate's dominated headlines this week across Australia. From a whirlwind trip to the Pacific islands through yesterday's climate target announcement, many are still making heads or tails of what it all means. Not for the planet, mind you. We know the implications there. What we're wondering if whether all this will turn into meaningful policy change or keep the wheels of state-sponsored greenwashing chugging along.
Let's break down the week(ish) that was
We start in Honiara, the bustling capital of the Solomon Islands, which played host to this year's Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
9 September: SUV diplomacy
The Forum got off to a rocky start for Anthony Albanese. Demonstrating the shifting tides of partnership in a region once dominated by Australia's largesse, China flexed its diplomatic muscle in an unusual way: by automobile. Both countries opted to donate a fleet of SUVs to the Solomons (a strange bit of irony for a conference where climate change was top of mind). But instead of stepping off his plane and into a HiLux, Albo was ushered into one of the brand-new Chinese-made SUVs.
10 September: Pinkshirtgate
The rhetoric of the Forum, largely pushed by its biggest and wealthiest members, is one of a happy Pacific Island family. Which is why Australia's decision to bar any non-Aussie media from a key Albanese press conference went down like a lead brick. The Forum has always prided itself on being open and transparent, particularly with the fourth estate. But given how important climate change is to these nations, I'm guessing Australian officials didn't want pesky questions about their role in perpetuating non-climate-friendly policies.
Even though he was stood at the podium, when asked about the decision Albanese said "I've got no idea what you're talking about, mate."
But Wednesday wasn't over yet, nor were the blunders.
As delegates met to discuss the thorniest issue on the agenda - climate finance - some were brought to tears by the gravity of the situation. This has long been a sticking point in international climate negotiations, both here and at the UN level. It is, without a doubt, the topic that ruffles feathers and stirs emotions the most.
What happened next during those proceedings was either a bit of cosmic levity or total disrespect. For anyone who watches these types of summits (the G7, G20, etc.) you know there are very odd dress codes delegates must adhere to. For the climate finance discussion, it was traditional button-down blue shirt. Everyone has theirs on...except Albanese. He went a different direction with his fashion choice: a hot pink shirt.
11 September: Glad handing
A big item on Australia's agenda at the Forum was getting support for its bid of host the UN's big climate conference next year. Embroiled in a face off with Türkiye, with neither country standing down, Albanese hoped to glad hand his way around the sessions. The 2026 bid is actually positioned as being hosted by the entire Pacific region, even though it'll likely be Adelaide where deliberations take place. So, this big happy family should show solidarity and a united front to help the UNFCCC make its decision.
12 September: The Rub
Which is what made Friday's approval of Australia's largest gas contract all the more embarrassing. The Government granted Woodside's North West Shelf final approval to extend operations until 2070. This has been described by many as a carbon bomb that could release up to 4 billion tons of CO2 in its lifetime and totally thwart any hope of keeping a 1.5-degree future alive. Not only does the project threaten the planet, but it puts sacred and ancient pieces of Indigenous rock art at risk, too. Overall, this is a decision Raelene Cooper of the Save our Songlines group says will hang around Albanese's neck for the remainder of his leadership.
After a weekend off, the climate news just kept on coming.
15 September: Look Y'all, We're F*cked!
After months of delays, the Government on Monday finally released the findings of Australia's first National Climate Risk Assessment. It makes for sobering reading, especially with the not-so-terrifying throughline that a 2.7-degree future is highly likely.
Some other fodder to keep you up at night.
Australia will experience four times more severe and extreme heat wave days this century
By 2100, 444% more people in Sydney will die from heat-related causes
By 2050, 1.5 million Aussies will be at risk of 17x the amount of coastal flooding
By 2050, up to 70% of native plant species could be at risk of ecosystem collapse
By 2063, economic output will shrink by over $400 billion due to worker wellbeing issues
And never once in the report does it mention anything about fossil fuels as the cause of this mess.
Oh, and a little-known financial institution by the name of ANZ received the largest ACCC fine in the country's history due to unethical business practices.
17 September: Super Sacking
Following on from the ANZ announcement, another bit of unethical behaviour came to light at one of Australia's largest retail consortiums. The CEO of Super Retail Group, holder of retail outlets like Rebel sporting goods and BCF, was sacked following non-disclosure of his intimate relationship with the head of HR. Other allegations included breaching whistleblower regulations and creating an unsafe workplace.
This came on the heels of new data from the Australian Institute of Company Directors showing just how un-diverse Aussie boards actually are.
Of the approximately 2,100 board seats in the ASX 300:
92% are filled with people of Anglo or Celtic background. The average age is 60, with the oldest person in their 80s. And far from being highly qualified, only 20% actually have an MBA or advanced degree.
37% of seats are held by women with only 19% having a 50/50 split, or better, in favour of women. 29 boards have only one woman and 11 are entirely male.
Only 7 have Indigenous representation. Even then, 2 are filled by the same person meaning only 5 Indigenous people serve on one of Australia’s 300 boards. There are only 4 openly queer directors in a board seat, too.
18 September: The coup de grâce
Finally, we have the biggest announcement of the week(ish): Australia's updated 2035 climate targets. Australia’s now committed to between a 62 and 70% emission reduction by 2035, based on 2005 levels, and to be net-zero by 2050. Those on the left say it’s not ambitious enough. Those on the right say it goes too far. I think it’s a weak, middle-of-the-road response, especially after Monday’s dire climate risk assessment. But let’s take a step back and look at it objectively.
To gauge the target's effectiveness, I've used a few guiding questions courtesy of The Conversation. Let's look first at how realistic the target is.
Does the target reflect current technological and service capabilities? Yes. The report says that technologies now absolutely do exist to meet that target.
Does the target reflect what the evidence says is possible in the next decade? That’s a big old no. Over the past two decades, Australia’s only managed to reduce emissions by 28%. That means they need to reduce more than double that amount in only one decade.
Does the government have the right policies in place to achieve the target? With massive gas and oil approvals happening by the minute, that’s also a big old no.
What about ambition?
Is the target proportionate to climate impacts and threats we seek to avoid? No way. To even come close, the target needed to be nearer to 80%.
Will the target potentially attract investment and spur innovation? Sure. Smart companies know that addressing planetary needs just makes good business sense.
And finally, will the target encourage stronger action by other nations? Maybe. Australia’s target is more ambitious than many other developed countries, so perhaps that’ll get others reconsidering their stance.
Overall, the 2035 target report emphasises technology exist to accomplish this range in reduction. Unfortunately, the report also highlights the uphill battle if Australia wants to succeed. That includes everything listed here and then some.
So, what do you think?
With all the happenings over the past many days, is the announcement of a 2035 target good enough or just more state-sponsored greenwashing?
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