BHP Faces Pressure To Leave Minerals Council After News Of Ad Campaign To Make Oz "Proud" Of Coal
Mining giant BHP is facing renewed pressure to abandon its membership of the Minerals Council of Australia after it was revealed the lobby group is directly involved in an upcoming multimillion-dollar pro-coal advertising blitz.
Documents seen by the Guardian show Coal21 – an organisation created to research low-emissions technology and shares its chief executive with the Minerals Council – is planning a cross-media advertising campaign to enhance “the public standing and reputation of Australia’s coal industry”.
A source familiar with the advertising pitch said Coal21 planned to spend up to $4.5m on a campaign to “invoke national pride” in coal. The two-page “request for proposal” sent to advertising agencies does not mention carbon capture and storage.
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Dan Gocher, from the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, said the advertising plans showed Coal21 was a pro-coal front that used a promise to develop carbon capture and storage as a cover. He said BHP’s commitments, including to ensuring that its industry associations advocated in a technology-neutral way, were fundamentally at odds with the Minerals Council and Coal21. “Anything less than suspension of these memberships will show that BHP cannot be trusted on climate,” he said.
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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/aug/08/bhp-faces-fresh-calls-to-quit-minerals-council-ahead-of-pro-coal-ad-blitz