Australian mining billionaire unleashes on Coca-Cola over single-use plastics

An Australian mining magnate has unleashed on Coca-Cola, accusing the company of forcing its customers to “destroy the planet”.

An Australian mining billionaire has taken aim at Coca-Cola and similar companies, accusing them of forcing customers to use single-use plastics and harm the environment.

Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest is the founder of iron ore mining company, Fortescue Metals Group.

Off the back of this company, he also set up green hydrogen subsidiary Fortescue Future Industries, with a goal of producing 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year by 2030.

Speaking to ABC’s 7.30, Mr Forrest said major companies need to be doing more to offer their customers more environmentally friendly options.

“All I’m saying to the fossil fuel sector is, if you’re like the single-use plastic sector, if you’re like Coca-Cola and you just give single-use plastic as your container for Coke, then you’re forcing your customers to be single-use plastic nature destroyers,” he said.

“You’re a huge producer. Give customers a choice. Right now you are forcing them to destroy the planet for their kids.”

Stream more news on the environment with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer available for a limited time only >

Andrew Forrest, Fortescue Metals Group, has lashed out at Coca Cola. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire

Mr Forrest is in Egypt for this year’s UN climate conference, an event that is being sponsored by Coca-Cola.

He told the ABC he had written to the company’s CEO and urged them to invest alongside him into plastic recycling research.

“I’m saying, ‘Hey, listen, you shouldn’t be putting out one single plastic bottle that hasn’t come from a recycled source and, by the way, you can only recycle plastic on current technology three or four times,’” the mining magnate said.

“Come and put capital, in alongside mine, into researching plastic which goes back to the molecule in recycling and you can send it back up on a new plastic that goes on forever. “Putting your money into greenwashing and COP, that won’t help anyone.”

Mr Forrest said his goal is to demonstrate that a “big, heavy industrial carbon emitting company can step beyond fossil fuels”.

Coca Cola has been accused of forcing customers to use ‘nature destroyer’ single-use plastics.

He said he wanted to challenge every other CEO and chairman to image what their company would look like if they switched off fossil fuels within the next few years.

By doing this, Mr Forrest said companies can start to find the answers of what they need to be doing now to become more environmentally friendly.

The billionaire also said he is “desperate to try and stop” China building more coal fired power stations.

He said China “absolutely” cares about reducing emissions, but that the rest of the world was being caught in the crossfire between Washington and Beijing.

“If those two could calm down and think in the world’s best interests, if we could have peaceful, mutual engagement, I think you would see China taking a more proactive chance,” he said.

World warned against climate ‘suicide pact’

Humanity is in “the fight of our lives” as climate change intensifies droughts, floods and heatwaves, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned world leaders at talks in Egypt on curbing global warming.

In the midst of a barrage of international crises battering economies and shaking international relations – from the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to weather extremes – Mr Guterres said the international community faces a stark choice.

“Co-operate or perish,” he told leaders at the UN COP27 summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik.

“It is either a Climate Solidarity Pact, or a Collective Suicide Pact.”

Guterres called for a “historic” deal between rich countries and emerging economies that would aim to reduce emissions and keep the temperature rise to the more ambitious Paris Agreement target of 1.5C above the pre-industrial era.

He said the target should be to provide renewable and affordable energy for all, calling on the top emitters, the United States and China, in particular to step up their efforts.

On the current trajectory, the UN chief said, “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.”

At around 1.2C of warming so far, impacts are already accelerating on all fronts.

Major droughts in the Horn of Africa have pushed millions to the edge of starvation, deadly floods in Pakistan swamped farmland and destroyed infrastructure, causing more than $30 billion in damage and losses according to the World Bank.

Meanwhile, the global community is lagging behind both on efforts to cut planet-heating emissions and payments to vulnerable countries to help them build resilience and green their economies.

– With AFP

Originally published as Australian mining billionaire unleashes on Coca-Cola over single-use plastics