Atlassian, Canva protest against ‘gas-led recovery’

Hundreds of companies including tech stars Atlassian and Canva will allow their employees to strike in support of a student-led effort against Australia’s climate policies.

Coffs Coast students will gather at Brelsford Park on Friday, May 21 as part of the latest nationwide School Strike 4 Climate protest.

More than 350 companies including Australian tech powerhouses Atlassian and Canva will allow their employees to strike on Friday, in a show of solidarity to the School Strike 4 Climate march organised by students across the country to protest against the Morrison government‘s “gas-led recovery” and perceived inaction on climate change.

Canva co-founder Cameron Adams said he was encouraging his own employees to take a long lunch on Friday and join the Not Business as Usual alliance, given what he said was an absence of political leadership on climate change.

“It‘s fantastic to see the younger generation really taking a stand on this and send a message,” Mr Adams said.

Cameron Adams, co-founder of Australian tech company Canva. Picture: Britta Campion

“If our employees want they can take the afternoon off and attend the strikes. We want to give them the time and the opportunity to go and support this climate strike.

“We’re encouraging the government to rethink their policies, and we want them to set forth a clear framework for how Australia as a country should tackle climate change. There’s a lot of uncertainty out there for people who might be starting a climate business or just looking to make their organisation more climate-friendly. You’re not going to achieve anything if you don’t set a goal … If we ran our company like that nothing would ever happen.”

Mr Adams said the government’s gas-led recovery was reversing progress made with renewable energy, and putting more money and resources into the fossil fuel industry. Over recent months, Australia has attempted to pivot on climate policy, saying it hopes to achieve net zero as soon as possible but has not explicitly committed to anything.

“This is a step back, rather than looking forward to where the country needs to be,” Mr Adams said.

“Most of our employees will be joining these efforts in some form. A lot of our employees in Sydney will be taking part in the climate strike march, and we‘re encouraging them to write letters to the government, to MPs, to express the diversity of voices around Australia.

“It‘s not going to change overnight, we’re realistic, but we need to constantly remind the government about this and present them with new solutions and ways forward so they can actually lead on this.”

Future Super chief executive Simon Sheikh, the former national director of left-wing activist organisation GetUp!, said it was important for Australian businesses to show their solidarity with striking students.

Simon Sheikh in Canberra.

“We manage several billion dollars of assets on behalf of people‘s retirement savings, and that’s an important responsibility, but it means we’ve got a responsibility to the planet that our members want to retire into,” he said.

“When you look at companies like Atlassian, Canva, Athena Home Loans and Who Gives a Crap, these wonderful progressive companies are joining the cause and what‘s driving them is a sense of responsibility.

“Clearly there are some who wish that companies did not have a public voice, but the ship has sailed on that. The leaders of corporate Australia are having their voices heard and increasingly those voices are about progressive policies like climate action.”

Simon Griffiths, CEO and co-founder of Who Gives a Crap, said Australia is currently living in a climate emergency, and that it shouldn‘t just be up to the students to solve the climate crisis.

He said when governments choose not to take action on huge and urgent issues like climate change, it leaves the actions of businesses and individuals as the only way to create change.

“That‘s why this week’s strike is so important. More businesses participating means more individual voices can be heard, and the louder the message.”

Mike Cannon-Brookes, the billionaire co-founder and co-CEO of Atlassian, said that Australia is lacking in both leadership and action on climate change.

“Luckily we can draw inspiration from the next generation who are refusing to accept the status quo and are stepping up to urge our government to take a stronger stance on climate change, and we want to stand in solidarity with them,” he said. ”That‘s why we’re giving Atlassian’s our full support to attend the upcoming strike if they choose to do so, to help send a united message – Don’t @#$% the Planet.”

Year 12 student Sophie Chiewand will be one of the activists striking on Friday.

Atlassian CEO and founder Mike Cannon-Brookes. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“The Morrison Government could be protecting our climate, land and water, and creating thousands of new jobs by growing Australia’s renewable energy sector and backing First Nations solutions to protect Country,” she said.

“Instead, they are lining the pockets of multinational coal and gas companies, which are fuelling the climate crisis, devastating our land and water, wrecking our health and creating very few jobs.

“On May 21, all of us need to stand together – students, young people, organisations, adults and businesses – and say enough is enough. We cannot keep throwing public money at coal and gas.”