Atlassian boss Mike Cannon-Brookes urged to follow Bill Gates on nuclear power
Minerals Council tells Mike Cannon-Brookes to go nuclear if he wants to save the planet.
Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes should go nuclear if he wants to save the planet, according to the Minerals Council of Australia.
The mining industry body has told the technology boss he should follow in Bill Gates’ footsteps if he is serious about minimising climate change.
Mr Cannon-Brookes has taken aim at BHP’s membership of the Minerals Council as part of his push to force a climate change policy shift, using his private investment vehicle to back a shareholder motion demanding BHP quit the mining lobby group.
The tech billionaire’s Grok Ventures is one of a group of institutional investors - including Denmark’s $25 billion MP Pension and the Church of England Pensions Board - backing the resolution filed by the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility ahead of BHP’s upcoming annual shareholder meetings.
The resolution calls for BHP to suspend its membership of industry associations whose lobbying activities are inconsistent with the goals of the Paris climate agreement.
But, in a letter to Mr Cannon-Brookes, Minerals Council chief executive Tania Constable rejected his criticisms of the lobby group, saying the MCA was committed to “progressive environmental policy and emissions reduction” and the Paris agreement on climate change.
“It is unfortunate that you have accepted without question the misinformed claims of some activists regarding the approach of the MCA to the Paris agreement and its related emissions reduction targets,” she said.
“Given that this has been the MCA’s stated position for some time, and was developed in close consultation with member companies, I was surprised to read your public criticism of the MCA without any reference to the MCA’s support for the Paris agreement.”
The Minerals Council boss congratulated Mr Cannon-Brookes on his investment in renewable energy generation, saying it showed support for the Australian miners that produced the zinc, copper and silver required to make solar panels.
But Ms Constable also suggested the technology company boss look to the vocal public support given to nuclear energy by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
“You would be aware that there are three inquiries underway at present into the exciting potential of nuclear power to provide reliable, safe and zero-emissions power to Australian businesses and households,” she said.
“The MCA’s advocacy for nuclear power includes highlighting the new technology being supported by Bill Gates through his company TerraPower.”
TerraPower was founded a decade ago to develop a novel form of small nuclear reactor, potentially powered by depleted uranium, rather than the enriched uranium used in traditional nuclear power plants.
In January it was forced to cancel construction of a pilot plant in China, blaming new technology laws introduced by the US government.
“The MCA would be pleased to provide you with more information about nuclear technology to inform your future investments into zero-emissions technology,” Ms Constable said.
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