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Woodside financiers vote down climate plan, rebuking Australia's leading gas producer

Shareholders declined Woodside Energy's environment plan on Wednesday, marking a. symbolic success for activists who have called for Australia's. most significant gas manufacturer to stop brand-new nonrenewable fuel source jobs, however its. chairman survived a push to oust him.

Following a prolonged campaign by activists, 58% of the votes. opposed Woodside's climate shift strategy in a presentation of. the growing unease over its strategy for curbing carbon. emissions which critics state is unambitious and unclear.

Goyder said he was disappointed by the strategy's rejection but. the board appreciated the result and would keep talking with. shareholders about its method.

The vote reflects the challenges and intricacies of the. energy transition, and today's result is one we take extremely. seriously, he said.

Opposition has actually grown given that a vote 2 years ago, when 49%. were against the environment strategy, also in a non-binding vote.

A related campaign to block Goyder's re-election and hold. him responsible for the plan failed to unseat him but cut his. margin of success to 83.4%, from the 99.2% assistance he. secured in 2021, in an unusual rebuke for an Australian company. chairman.

A singing and public project versus the plan and Goyder won. support from significant pension funds in the U.S., Norway and. Australia in addition to proxy consultant Glass Lewis.

The acrimony spilled over into a four-hour long meeting. In. one testy exchange, Goyder said the business wished to invest. more in brand-new energy projects however clients were not going to. spend for higher-priced items.

We can not and will not be turning on a cent on this and nor. should you or anybody else anticipate us to do that, he said.

Activists desire Woodside to shelve significant brand-new oil and gas. projects and oppose its dependence on carbon credits to assist satisfy. its targets.

It would be belligerent for Woodside to front up to. investors next year with the same old technique, stated Harriet. Kater, head of effect at the Australasian Centre for Corporate. Responsibility (ACCR), which led the campaign versus Goyder and. the climate plan.

Woodside has a $20 billion plus portfolio of brand-new tasks in. numerous stages of advancement and is targeting net absolutely no by 2050. for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which refer to those produced. straight or indirectly by its operations.

Goyder stated he had actually personally held 83 meetings about environment. change with financiers considering that last year and despite the general public. campaign against the company, there had actually been no high profile. divestments.

I want to state extremely plainly that we are devoted to. performing our business sustainably. This indicates reacting to. climate change, he stated.