Australian companies and the extractivist response to the climate crisis

Australia is one of the main mining countries in the world, holding 40% of the total market share and is rapidly gearing up to take advantage of the mineral profits to be made from the race to net zero, with industry, economic and political support from the Federal Government. Voices from concerned frontline communities in the global south suggest that the race to net zero is exacerbating existing and generating new extractive sacrifice zones – where human rights violations and ecological destruction are becoming commonplace effects of climate action.

This session will present preliminary findings of research that examines the role of destructive extractive Australian companies in exacerbating human rights violations and ecological destruction in the name of climate action. We will present testimonies from the voices impacted by this deeply unjust approach to the climate crisis and invite discussion in a Q&A

Contributors: Claire Burgess (PhD student, University of Tasmania)LIz Downes (Researcher & Campaigner, Rainforest Action Group)Kado Muir (Chairman of the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance) Carlos Zorilla (Frontline activist and coordinator of DECOIN, Ecuador)Lee Tan (Campaign officer, AidWatch Malaysia)