Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest has spoken out in rebuke against claims made by the Morrison Government regarding its commitment to clean energy.
In Fortescue Future Industries’ (FFI) latest opinion article, the mining magnate speaks out against Morrison’s “technology not taxes” approach to climate change, stating that Australia has the potential to become a “global green hydrogen superpower”.
Morrison proposed in his Long-Term Emissions Reduction Plan that net zero emissions could be achieved by taking a technology-driven approach, rather than taxing high-emissions industries.
However, this approach has received criticism as a toothless strategy for its continued investment in fossil fuels.
According to Forrest, continuing to pour billions of dollars into fossil fuels is not providing a “level playing field” for emerging green industries.
“If the government truly wants a green economy, it needs to stop giving the fossil fuel industry handouts, or at the very least grant the renewable energy and green hydrogen industry the same advantage,” Forrest said.
Forrest has criticised Morrison’s promotion of coal and gas generated hydrogen as “clean” in a bid to push for green hydrogen, which is made from renewable sources.
“Peddling hydrogen made from brown coal – the dirtiest of all coals – as ‘clean’ is a cringe-inducing backwards shuffle into the dark ages,” he stated in a piece he wrote for the Australian Financial Review.
“Levelling the playing field won’t double the price of energy or increase taxes because consumers will still use exactly the same amount of energy,” he explains.
Last year, FFI built its first electrolyser and is anticipated to start generating green hydrogen this year.
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