By Rhiannon Hardwick
Chevron. One of the world’s largest fossil fuel firms, and responsible for more carbon emissions in our atmosphere than any other private company. It is also responsible for environmental destruction and human rights violations across the world, from Ecuador, Peru and Brazil to California, Nigeria and beyond.
Whilst communities suffer from the impacts of environmental racism – including deadly water, soil and air pollution – Chevron denies any responsibility and continues to wield powerful influence over political processes.
May 21, 2021 is the 8th annual Global Anti-Chevron Day. This coincides with the global School Strike 4 Climate action, so on the day we will be flooding social media with both messages – to fund our future, not gas; and to enforce reduction of greenhouse gases.
Chevron is WA’s biggest polluter, and, as our Captured State report has found, exerts considerable influence over the WA Government through political donations, the ‘revolving door’ and disproportionate access to ministers.
As a result of this influence, Chevron’s controversial Gorgon project on Barrow Island was approved in 2006 against the WA Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) recommendations. However, conditions were placed upon the project’s approval, requiring Chevron to inject 80% of the reservoir carbon dioxide (CO2) underground over any five-year period.
Although the Morrison and McGowan governments have faith in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology as being an important part of the solution to addressing climate change, Gorgon’s carbon capture system has not been working properly, which has caused an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from the project.
In 2018, the Guardian reported that half of the increase in Australia’s annual CO2 emissions could be attributed to the failure of Chevron’s Gorgon project to sequester greenhouse gases.
In the years 2016 to 2020, only 12% of the 40% of the required CO2 emissions had been sequestered by Chevron’s Gorgon CCS facility.
This Anti-Chevron Day, we are calling on WA’s new Environment Minister to hold Chevron to account and make Chevron offset every tonne of CO2 they were required to sequester since 2016.
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On May 21, join the global movement to condemn Chevron for its human rights abuses, environmental destruction and continued climate pollution.
Use the hashtag(s) #AntiChevronDay, as well as #TrueCostOfChevron, #ChevronsDirtyHand, #Chevron, #ChevronGuilty, #ChevronCulpable
Make sure you follow 350 Boorloo Perth’s Facebook page and Instagram page for shareable posts, and find us at the SS4C rally at the Stirling Gardens on May 21 – we’ll be taking pictures of people holding our #AntiChevronDay frame!