Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: Whitehaven Coal is strategically engaged on climate change and displays broadly negative positions. Although the company demonstrates support for climate action in some of its top-line communications, it has consistently advocated for a sustained role for coal in the energy mix in and has engaged in oppositional advocacy on Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism Reforms.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Whitehaven Coal demonstrates largely positive top-line messaging on climate policy. The company supported the goals of the Paris Agreement in its 2023 Sustainability Report, published in September 2023, and likewise stated support for limiting global temperature rise to well below 2°C, with an aspirational target of 1.5°C, in a February 2023 consultation submission. Whitehaven Coal’s position on Australia’s net zero by 2050 target is less clear, with the company stating that it acknowledges Australia’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in its 2023 Sustainability Report, without providing further details on whether it supports the target.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Whitehaven Coal displays limited yet broadly negative transparent engagement with specific climate-related regulations. The company appeared unsupportive of reforms to Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism in September 2022 and 2023 1206622 consultation submissions, advocating for a number of provisions that risk weakening the climate ambition of the policy. For example, Whitehaven Coal appeared to support the retention of headroom at some facilities, appeared unsupportive of the proposal for new facilities to adopt best practice baselines, and advocated for the eligibility of multi-year monitoring periods to be expanded. In its February 2023 consultation submission, Whitehaven Coal also appeared to suggest that Safeguard facilities should not be required to meet additional state-based emissions reduction obligations. However, in contrast to this negative advocacy, the company appeared to support the introduction of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in Australia in a February 2023 consultation submission.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Whitehaven Coal has consistently promoted a sustained role for coal in the energy mix in 2022-2023. In its 2023 Sustainability Report, Whitehaven Coal appeared to emphasize issues of human development, energy security and technological availability to promote an extended role for coal in the energy mix. In the same report, Whitehaven Coal CEO, Paul Flynn, likewise supported the continued role for coal, stating that “Whitehaven continues to advocate for sensible policy outcomes that maintain the global competitiveness of Australia’s coal sector”. The company also appeared to support the role of thermal coal in co-firing with ammonia, biomass and hydrogen in a June 2023 investor presentation.
Industry Association Governance: Whitehaven Coal has disclosed its membership to some industry associations which are actively lobbying on climate change policy. However, the company has not published a dedicated review assessing climate policy alignment with its associations, nor has it disclosed how it is engaging with these groups on climate change. Whitehaven Coal has strong links to several industry associations that have actively opposed climate change policy in Australia, including sitting on the board of directors of the Minerals Council of Australia, Queensland Resource Council, and the NSW Minerals Council. Whitehaven Coal also sits on the executive committee of the World Coal Association (WCA) which has actively promoted coal in the global energy mix.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q4 2023.