Climate protesters have zero chance of success

Australia would cease to function if the anti-fossil fuel lobby had its way and sought to rely on renewables, the head of the national petroleum industry has warned.

Police arrest an Extinction Rebellion protester outside the Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Wednesday. Picture: Facebook

Australia would cease to function if the anti-fossil fuel lobby had its way and sought to rely on renewables which could not yet meet the energy needs of households and industry, the head of the national petroleum industry has warned.

With Extinction Rebellion protesters targeting the Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference in Adelaide, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association accused protesters of ignoring the fact that the industry itself was committed to net zero targets and decarbonising its operations.

About 100 protesters spent the past three days heckling conference attendees at the Adelaide Convention Centre and nine people were arrested after gluing their hands to the footpath and pouring fake oil on the ground.

APPEA chief executive Samantha McCulloch said she had no issue with people protesting but that more thought should be given to the economic reality of what was being advocated by critics of the fossil fuel industry.

“We have to respect the right to protest and free speech, but in this case the activists are targeting a sector that has committed to net zero and is playing a crucial role in terms of achieving net zero,” she said. “All of my members have committed to net zero by 2050; some of the companies have actually set more ambitious and earlier dates than 2050.

“We are investing in the technologies that are needed to put us on that path to net zero.

“If you take a step back net zero really requires a fundamental and profound change in how we produce and use energy.

“We should absolutely be having a robust debate about how we get to net zero, but it needs to be a debate that is grounded in reality and facts and has balance.”

Ms McCulloch, the former head of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) at the International Energy Agency, said the “demonisation” of gas, as well as oil, showed a major misunderstanding of the pivotal role gas would play in emission reduction strategies.

“What is missing in some of the discussions at the moment and certainly the demonisation of the fossil fuel industry is counter-productive,” she said. “When you look at our energy mix in Australia today, 92 per cent of our energy comes from fossil fuels.

Demonstrators make their opinions known. Picture: Dean Martin

“We know for the energy transition to zero that we actually need more gas. All of the scenario modelling including from the IEA and others shows that we actually need more gas to support energy transition. We are seeing that play out in real time, particularly on the east coast where we are seeing growing roles for gas-fired power generation as we move away from coal and as renewables are ramped up.”

Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman Peta Page defended the targeting of the conference and attacked the SA Labor government for allowing it to go ahead.

“We must end our dependence on fossil fuels,” she said.

“Every day we delay brings us closer to cascading tipping points, irreversible damage to the natural world and more frequent and severe climate-driven disasters.”

“As our country floods and burns, we are compelled to take effective action to stop the industries causing this harm.

“We refuse to stay silent as we pay for their greed.”

The Australian was contacted by a conference delegate who spoke out anonymously about what they called the harassment they endured from the protesters.

SA Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis, who hosted a round table event to open the conference, said he was “ enjoying the fact that protesters were using petrochemicals to glue themselves to the pavement”.