Image: Credit Greenpeace Australia Pacific
A Greenpeace protest disrupted a major fossil fuel industry conference in central Sydney on Tuesday morning, as activists called for stronger taxation on gas corporations and a faster transition to renewable energy.
At around 8:20am, two activists descended into the grand stairwell of the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, unfurling a large banner reading “Gas Execs Profit, We Pay The Price.” The pair then locked themselves to both the banner and the bannister, halting movement through the space outside the conference room. They were soon joined by around ten additional protesters holding smaller signs bearing the message “Tax Gas Profits.”
The demonstration targeted the 13th annual Australian Domestic Gas Outlook conference, a gathering of industry executives, lobbyists, investors and government representatives discussing the future of Australia’s gas sector. Speakers at the event include representatives from major fossil fuel companies such as Santos, ExxonMobil and Shell.
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Greenpeace Australia Pacific campaigner Solaye Snider said the protest aimed to highlight what the organisation sees as systemic failures in how the gas industry is regulated and taxed.
“Gas corporations in Australia are ripping us off,” Snider said in a statement. “While executives profit, Australians are left with rising energy bills, environmental damage and worsening climate impacts.”
Snider also linked the industry’s profits to global instability, arguing that conflicts abroad are being leveraged to justify further gas expansion while households bear the cost domestically.
Activist Alex Saurin, one of the two protesters who dropped the banner, described the action as a stand against corporate influence over Australia’s energy future.
“Gas giants have spent years blocking renewable energy and dodging fair taxes to protect record profits,” Saurin said. “Meanwhile, families are struggling and the climate crisis is accelerating.”
Greenpeace is calling on the Federal Government to introduce stronger taxes on gas exports and to accelerate investment in renewable energy, arguing this would reduce both power prices and emissions.
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