A new study from the Australian National University directly challenges Woodside's assertion that emissions from the Scarborough gas project will be 'negligible'. The research quantifies the project's specific contribution to global warming and projects significant negative impacts on both human populations and the Great Barrier Reef.

New research from the Australian National University ANU provides a critical assessment of the climate impact of Woodside 's Scarborough gas project off the coast of Western Australia. The study directly challenges Woodside 's assertion that emissions from the $18.9 billion project will be negligible, marking a significant advancement by quantifying a project's specific contribution to global warming. Published in a peer-reviewed journal, the research attributes nearly 0.

0004 degrees of additional global warming to the project's emissions over at least 31 years, commencing in 2026. While the numerical increase appears modest, the implications highlighted by the lead author, Professor Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, reveal potentially severe consequences for both human populations and delicate ecosystems. The study projects that the project's emissions will expose an additional 516,000 people worldwide to unprecedented heat stress, potentially leading to hundreds of heat-related deaths, particularly in Europe, by the end of the century. The research also points to a significant negative impact on the Great Barrier Reef, predicting an additional 16 million coral colonies could be lost during each future bleaching event, which are expected to become more frequent due to climate change. This research represents a pivotal shift in the methodology of evaluating the climate impacts of individual fossil fuel projects, providing a framework that could be applied to other operations and companies, something that was not previously possible.\Professor Perkins-Kirkpatrick emphasized that this study is the first of its kind to quantify the specific impacts of an individual project on global warming. The study contests Woodside's repeated claims of negligible emissions in the context of global emissions, also claiming the inability to measure individual contributions to global warming, ignoring expected impacts. The research team analyzed the impacts on locations like Europe and the Great Barrier Reef because comprehensive existing research on climate change provides a valuable reference for the consequences of additional warming in those areas. The study also shows the effects on coral reefs and human populations near the Scarborough project site. Furthermore, the study notes that by 2049, the anticipated Australian emissions from the Scarborough project alone could account for almost half of Australia's annual carbon emissions budget, a substantial figure that underscores the scale of the project's potential climate impact. Co-author Dr. Nicola Maher highlighted that emissions from the project beyond 2050 would necessitate durable carbon removal from the atmosphere if Australia is to meet its emission reduction targets. Such an effort would demand a significant increase in the effectiveness and scale of carbon capture and storage technology, an endeavor that Perkins-Kirkpatrick views as unlikely to meet Woodside's projected needs in the coming decades. Woodside's statements that carbon capture and storage, which Woodside's own analysis shows it considers a "high-risk, high-cost" option, may not be sufficient for this project.\Woodside, in response, maintains that climate change cannot be attributed to any single event, industry, or activity, referencing reports from the CSIRO and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. They emphasize that the Scarborough reservoir contains less than 0.1% carbon dioxide. They also claim that the project is expected to be one of the lowest carbon intensity sources of LNG delivered to north Asian markets due to processing design efficiencies. They further claim the use of energy efficiency measures in their design to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions. Woodside claims the project uses modern design to minimize emissions. The recent research shows how emissions from fossil fuel projects are measurable in ways not previously possible and the extent of their impacts. The research will be valuable in evaluating future court cases against similar projects. The Doctors for the Environment Australia is calling for the Australian government to provide stronger regulations for the offshore gas industry

Scarborough Gas Project Woodside Climate Change Emissions Great Barrier Reef

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ANU Study Challenges Woodside's 'Negligible' Emissions Claim for Scarborough Gas Project, Quantifies Climate Impact