Making A Point: Greenpeace Shuts Down Major Queensland Coal Exporter

On the eve of the Pacific Islands Forum in Cairns, Greenpeace activists have shut down Abbot Point coal export terminal in Queensland to demand Kevin Rudd stops risking the future of Pacific Islands by undermining real action on climate change and expanding Australia's coal industry. They are demanding that Kevin Rudd stops expanding Australia’s coal industry and risking the future of Pacific Islands.

Several activists climbed onto the coal loader and locked it down. One has since been arrested. The activists say that they will stay on the coal loader, stopping Australia’s major contribution to climate change – export coal – until their message has got through to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

One of the activists, Fijian climate campaigner Lagi Toribau said: 

Abbot Point epitomizes the hypocrisy of the Rudd Government's climate policy. As Pacific Island leaders call for the 40-45% emission cuts needed to save their homes, Kevin Rudd is presiding over a massive coal industry expansion while masquerading as a climate hero. He needs to back Pacific calls for concrete action, not try to bully their leaders into submission.

Kevin Rudd has made highly conditional promises to reduce domestic carbon emissions by 5% to 25% by 2020, yet this export coal expansion would cancel out even the most ambitious target six times over. For the 5% reduction, this rises to fifteen times the target.

Why Abbott Point?

Financed by more than $328 million of public money in 2009/10, the doubling in size of the coal terminal at Abbott Point alone will result in an extra 67.5 million tonnes of carbon pollution per year.

This is equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of 2.4 million Australians.

Abbot Point is only a small part of Australia's largest coal export expansion in decades, which will see total capacity more than double from 332 to 730 million tonnes per year.

According to Papua New Guinea activist Sam Moko, who is one of the activists involved in the shut down at Abbot Point:

It doesn't matter where this coal is burned, carbon pollution has no borders.

Climate change is already having a devastating impact on our homes and we need genuine support from our Australian neighbours. Unless emissions are drastically and rapidly reduced, low lying atolls such as Tuvalu will soon be uninhabitable.

Moreover, as a new Greenpeace briefing demonstrates, far from being a boon to Australia, coal is becoming an economic and environmental millstone around our necks. Public support for continued expansion is also in short supply, with a July poll commissioned by Greenpeace showing that 76% of Australians support a cap or reduction of coal exports.  

By reinforcing Australia's position as the world's largest coal dealer, Kevin Rudd continues to shun not only his neighbours, but also common sense. Supporting Pacific leaders at the Pacific Island Forum would be a major step in the right direction.

Related Links

• Follow the latest updates at the Greenpeace Australia website
• See the photos of the action (via facebook)