New data released today by Terry Hughes, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, shows record-breaking water temperatures have caused bleaching to over 1500 kilometres of coral over the last two summers.

“This second round of bleaching shows that we are running out of time to address climate change and protect one of Australia’s natural wonders,” Greenpeace campaigner Sebastien Blavier said.

“Last year we saw catastrophic bleaching on the northern parts of the Reef and this year the damage has moved further south.

“But instead of taking action to protect the Reef the government are considering funnelling almost $1 billion of taxpayers’ money to help fund the Carmichael mega-mine right next door.

“The Government must take action on the root cause of coral bleaching - and that is climate change, fueled by mining and burning fossil fuels like coal.”

Professor Hughes and his team collected data on the Reef by conducting aerial and below water surveys of about 800 separate reefs.

Unlike his 2016 survey, which found the bleaching to be more highly concentrated on the northernmost parts of the Reef, this year the worst of the damage has occurred in popular tourist areas further south between Townsville and Cairns.

“Almost 70,000 people rely on the Reef for their livelihoods, and the Reef is now in danger thanks to our Government’s inaction on climate change,” Blavier said.  

“Instead of supporting the dying coal industry our leaders must commit to keep taxpayers’ money out of the Carmichael mine.”

In 2015, UNESCO placed the Great Barrier Reef on its watchlist due to concerns about the Australian Government’s management of the World Heritage Area.

Coral bleaching occurs when the water temperature is too warm. This increase in temperature causes the coral to expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues, which then takes on a bleached white appearance.

If water temperatures do not return to normal within six to eight weeks of the bleaching, the coral dies.

Notes to editors:

Photo and video can be accessed here, including drone footage of bleached coral: http://media.greenpeace.org/shoot/27MZIFJJD68E1

Media contacts:

Simon Black, Greenpeace Senior Media Campaigner, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, mob: 0418 219 086, email: simon.black@greenpeace.org

Media reports that companies associated with the Carmichael coal mine project are accused of money laundering, corruption and financial crimes are yet more reasons why the Government should not fund Carmichael.

The Greenpeace document outlines the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) Board’s network of connections to banks and mining  companies, special relationships that open questions about their independence.

“Building the Carmichael coal mine is in itself a ludicrous proposition, let alone lending the company a billion dollars of taxpayer’s money that we may never get back. Our investigation shows the public how important it is to stop Carmichael right now, before we wreck a valuable part of Queensland,” said Greenpeace Campaigner Jonathan Moylan.

The points above are detailed in ‘Off Track: Why NAIF Can’t Approve the Carmichael Rail project’, available to download at the Greenpeace Australia Pacific website.

The report argues that a $1bn loan for the Carmichael Rail Project would probably not satisfy three of NAIF’s own criteria:

1. The project will not be of public benefit, since tax revenues and job creation will be low and the rail line cannot easily be used for other purposes;

2. The company asking for the loan has stated it has sufficient capital to proceed without NAIF’s financial assistance; and

3. In the long-term, falling coal prices and collapsing demand in India may mean the $1bn loan may never be repaid or refinanced.

The Greenpeace report also notes that several NAIF Board members who would be involved in approving such a loan are closely linked to the mining industry. This calls into question the Board’s ability to take an objective and unbiased decision on behalf of Australian taxpayers.

Mr. Moylan concluded: “Australians shouldn’t be paying to send coal to a country that doesn't even want it, at a time when we, India and the entire world have agreed to reduce fossil fuels and carbon emissions. Loaning $1bn to Carmichael doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“Amazon continues to talk a good game on renewables but is keeping its customers in the dark on its energy decisions. This is concerning, particularly as Amazon expands into markets served by dirty energy,” said Greenpeace USA Senior IT Analyst, Gary Cook. 

”Like Apple, Facebook, and Google, Netflix is one of the biggest drivers of the online world and has a critical say in how it is powered. Netflix must embrace the responsibility to make sure its growth is powered by renewables, not fossil fuels and it must show its leadership here” continued Cook.

Netflix has one of the largest data footprints of the companies profiled, accounting for one third of internet traffic in North America and contributing significantly to the worldwide data demand from video streaming. The company announced in 2015 that it intended to fully offset its carbon footprint, but a closer examination reveals it is likely turning to carbon offsets or unbundled renewable energy credits, which do little to increase renewable energy investment

For the first time, this year’s report also evaluates Asian companies including tech giants Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba, and Naver, which are steadily expanding globally. The region is well behind the US market in renewable commitments, due in large part to fewer clean energy options from monopoly utilities. 

“Leading tech companies in the US have shown that clean power can be both good for the environment and for business. East Asian companies must step up to embrace that reality as well,” said Jude Lee, Senior Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.

Nearly 20 IT companies have committed to 100% renewable energy use now. Among all data centres evaluated, Switch - a new entry to this year’s report - is making the best progress to transitioning its data center fleet to renewables through both procurement and aggressive advocacy. 

The IT industry’s energy footprint accounted for 7% of global electricity in 2012, a number set to grow as global internet traffic increases, and even exceed 12% by 2017. Video streaming accounts for 63% of global internet traffic in 2015, and is projected to reach about 80% by 2020, according to Cisco Network Traffic Forecast, 2016. 

Greenpeace has benchmarked the energy performance of the IT sector since 2009. Greenpeace is calling on all major internet companies to:

• Make a long term commitment to become 100% renewably powered.
• Commit to be transparent on IT energy performance and consumption of resources, including the source of electricity, to enable customers, investors, and stakeholders to measure progress toward that goal.
• Develop a strategy for increasing their supply of renewable energy, through a mixture of procurement, investment, and corporate advocacy to both electricity suppliers and government decisionmakers.

Notes to editors:

[1] Greenpeace USA’s report Clicking Clean: Who is Winning the Race to Build a Green Internet? can be found at http://www.clickclean.org/downloads/ClickClean2016%20HiRes.pdf
[2] The full Cisco Network Traffic Forecast, 2016 can be found at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/service-provider/vni-network-traffic-forecast/infographic.html
[3] Photos and video can be accessed here: http://media.greenpeace.org/collection/27MZIFJJRUIB7

Media contacts:

Maria Elena De Matteo, Global Communications Strategist, Greenpeace East Asia, mariaelena.dematteo@greenpeace.org, phone +39 333-9860831

Greenpeace International Press Desk, pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org, phone: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours)

“Earlier this week, Prime Minister Turnbull claimed that his support for coal was ‘pragmatic and practical’. He said opposition to the fossil fuels that drive climate change was merely ‘ideological’.

“Mr Turnbull needs to rethink this irrational and frankly absurd position. Scientists have proven the year 2016 was the warmest on record. And it’s no secret why. The mining and burning of coal is driving global warming to record highs - creating extreme weather events like heatwaves, hurricanes and bushfires.

“As the world’s biggest coal exporter, Australia is directly responsible. Instead of flirting with the coal industry, Mr Turnbull needs to implement a ban on new coal mines and start transitioning Australia away from fossil fuels and towards clean, safe renewable energy.”

The footage, shot on 17 March at the outer reefs off Port Douglas, shows the silent and high-speed destruction of one of the world's most beautiful and fragile ecosystems from below the water line and shot for the first time in close range UAV footage from above.

“I’ve seen previous bleaching on the Reef but nothing could have prepared me to see the reality of the destruction up close,” said Alix Foster Vander Elst, a campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.

“The world needs to know what is happening to the largest living organism in the world. People need to know that while the Great Barrier Reef dies right in front of our eyes Australia’s government continues to funnel money into new coal mines.”

The footage  shows vast areas of coral in the late stages of bleaching or death with UAV footage capturing the distressed coral forests from above.

“What is most heartbreaking about this footage is that it shows a lot of the coral that managed to survive last year is now totally bleached and on its way to dying,” Foster Vander Elst said.

“Almost all of the coral we saw was dead or bleached.”

In 2015, UNESCO placed the Great Barrier Reef on its watchlist due to concerns about the Australian Government’s management of the World Heritage Area and this week a new report, Boom and Bust 2017: Tracking the Global Coal Plant Pipeline, showed a 62 per cent drop in new construction on coal plants as well as an increase in the retirement of existing plants[2].

However, despite two sequential years of coral bleaching on the Reef and the declining coal industry the Australian government is considering giving AU$1 billion (US$760 million) of taxpayers’ money to the biggest coal mine ever built in the country.

“If it gets built, the Carmichael mega-mine will be a climate bomb that endangers the Reef and mocks Australia’s commitments under the Paris climate agreement,” Foster Vander Elst said.

“The government should make a commitment to the Reef, and to the 67,000 people who rely on the Reef for their jobs, that no taxpayer money will be used to dig up the Galilee Basin.”

Coral bleaching occurs when the surrounding water is too warm, causing the corals to expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues.

This makes the coral take on a completely white appearance. If water temperatures don’t return to normal within six to eight weeks of the bleaching, the coral dies. In 2016, 93 per cent of the corals of the Great Barrier Reef bleached and 22 per cent of the entire Reef died [1].

Notes to editors:          

Photo and video can be accessed here: http://media.greenpeace.org/shoot/27MZIFJJD68E1

[1] Death rate of the entire reef as of June 2016,according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science

[2] http://www.greenpeace.org/india/Global/india/docs/BoomAndBust_2017_EMBARGO.pdf

Media contacts:

Simon Black, Greenpeace Senior Media, Campaigner, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, mob: 0418 219 086, email: simon.black@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace International Press Desk, pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org, phone: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours)

"This week, Australia has truly shown its tireless commitment to selling out Pacific islanders.

If the Carmichael coal mine goes ahead, it would supply 2.3bn tonnes of coal to be burnt over the next 60 years, fuelling catastrophic climate change.

“Typically, in an attempt to remain being seen as a friend to the Pacific, and continue fending off Chinese advances, Australia’s Ambassador for Climate Change, Patrick Suckling, came to Fiji in January, with a completely opposing message.

Earlier this year, Mr Suckling said, “The purpose of my visit here is to talk to the Government and the business community on how Australia and Fiji can strongly work together on the damaging impacts of climate change.”

“Both countries take climate change very seriously. It is a serious concern to the region, and part of Australia's interest in climate change is that we support and work with the Pacific Island nations in terms of meeting the challenges of climate change,” he said.

“The events this week prove once again that Australia’s climate promises to the Pacific are empty sweet nothings. While Australia may claim to consider climate change ‘a serious concern to the region’, they still have plans to double their coal exports in the next 10 years (despite already having a larger share of the seaborne coal market than Saudi Arabia has of the world oil market), which will further fuel catastrophic climate change,” Ms Walkden-Brown says.

“Not content with trampling the rights of Pacific islanders by lobbying for more coal as climate change impacts intensify, Mr Turnbull also sold out Australia’s Indigenous people this week, claiming that native title laws “will be fixed” to let the mine go ahead.

“However, in the true Pacific spirit, we remain hopeful that Australia will change their course and join us. Join us in a world moving toward 100% renewable energy. A world that recognises that gains in technology, science, medicine, and other fields that give people a chance at a higher standard of living, are now possible using 100% clean energy.

A world that accepts that developed and developing countries alike must pave the way, instead of propping up out-dated fossil fuel industries. A world that does not allow for politicised speeches to be dressed up as solutions. A world that understands climate finance is not a bargaining chip to be used against the vulnerable and unfairly affected. A world that knows words, promises, deals and temporary financial gains, can not absorb carbon. A world that needs fewer coal mines, not more.”

1. Fiji Times Online : “ Climate Change Fight” http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=387418

 2. Australian Financial Review: “Malcolm Turnbull tells Adani Native Title Issues Will Be Fixed.” “http://www.afr.com/news/politics/malcolm-turnbull-tells-adani-native-title-issues-will-be-fixed-20170410-gvi6i3

For more information, contact:

Simon Black, Greenpeace Senior Media Campaigner

Tel: +61 418 219 086 / Email: sblack@greenpeace.org

Matisse Walkden-Brown, Head of Pacific Net

Email: mwalkden@greenpeace.org

New data released today by Terry Hughes, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, shows record-breaking water temperatures have caused bleaching to over 1500 kilometres of coral over the last two summers.

“This second round of bleaching shows that we are running out of time to address climate change and protect one of Australia’s natural wonders,” Greenpeace campaigner Sebastien Blavier said.

“Last year we saw catastrophic bleaching on the northern parts of the Reef and this year the damage has moved further south.

“But instead of taking action to protect the Reef the government are considering funnelling almost $1 billion of taxpayers’ money to help fund the Carmichael mega-mine right next door.

“The Government must take action on the root cause of coral bleaching - and that is climate change, fueled by mining and burning fossil fuels like coal.”

Professor Hughes and his team collected data on the Reef by conducting aerial and below water surveys of about 800 separate reefs.

Unlike his 2016 survey, which found the bleaching to be more highly concentrated on the northernmost parts of the Reef, this year the worst of the damage has occurred in popular tourist areas further south between Townsville and Cairns.

“Almost 70,000 people rely on the Reef for their livelihoods, and the Reef is now in danger thanks to our Government’s inaction on climate change,” Blavier said.  

“Instead of supporting the dying coal industry our leaders must commit to keep taxpayers’ money out of the Carmichael mine.”

In 2015, UNESCO placed the Great Barrier Reef on its watchlist due to concerns about the Australian Government’s management of the World Heritage Area.

Coral bleaching occurs when the water temperature is too warm. This increase in temperature causes the coral to expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues, which then takes on a bleached white appearance.

If water temperatures do not return to normal within six to eight weeks of the bleaching, the coral dies.

Notes to editors:

Photo and video can be accessed here, including drone footage of bleached coral: http://media.greenpeace.org/shoot/27MZIFJJD68E1

Media contacts:

Simon Black, Greenpeace Senior Media Campaigner, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, mob: 0418 219 086, email: simon.black@greenpeace.org

The Paris climate agreement was ratified yesterday by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. 

Greenpeace Australia Pacific climate campaigner Shani Tager said: “Ratifying the Paris climate agreement marks a new dawn for Australia’s commitment to a safe and healthy climate.

“By ratifying the agreement just hours after Donald Trump won the US election, Malcolm Turnbull has sent a strong signal that the global momentum to combat climate change will not be slowed down by those too short-sighted to see its importance.”

“The ambitious global targets that Australia now has to meet to keep our planet safe can only be accomplished by making a huge climate U-turn and banning new coal mines and upgrading Australia to clean and reliable renewable energy.

“This ratification will be meaningless unless there’s a substantial change in climate policy from the Turnbull government.” 

The potential carbon emissions from the world’s existing operational fossil fuel reserves would already exceed the Paris climate agreement upper target of a 2C temperature increase limit, making any new fossil fuel projects entirely incompatible with global climate targets. 

ENDS

The brand has announced it has ended its arrangement with suppliers that used Fish Aggregating Devices, or FADs, after Greenpeace’s 2017 Canned Tuna Guide found they were the worst performing of all the major brands on the Australian market.

“These devices are indiscriminate killers of sea life long abandoned by all the other major brands and we welcome Greenseas’ immediate commitment to stop using them,” Greenpeace campaigner Andrew Kelly said.

“This commitment means that seven years after Greenpeace and its supporters launched a campaign to clean up the Australian canned tuna market, every major brand has reformed and our tuna companies are now among the most responsible in the world.”

Following the release of the Greenpeace 2017 Canned Tuna Guide, a public backlash saw more than 18,000 people email Woolworths urging them to drop the Greenseas brand from their shelves.  

The supermarket giant then scheduled an emergency meeting with Kraft Heinz, the owner of Greenseas, to request immediate action on these customer concerns.

“The speed of this announcement shows the power of Australian consumers - and Greenpeace supporters - to effect change,” Kelly said.

“Despite Greenseas being the first major tuna supplier to commit to going FAD-free in 2012, they did nothing to honour this commitment.

“In the last week the public have shown they care about these issues and will punish brands that fail to live up to their word.

“We applaud Woolworths for responding quickly to the public’s concerns and working with their suppliers, including Greenseas, to ensure they meet the ethical standards their customers expect.”

Commenting on how Greenpeace would ensure these commitments were kept, Mr Kelly said: “We are looking forward to working with Woolworths to monitor the situation to ensure that this time, promises made by Greenseas to the Australian consumer are kept.”

“Greenpeace will also monitor Greenseas’ policies to ensure that their supply chain is a responsible one which eliminates labour abuses and illegal fishing practices that are currently rife in the global tuna industry.”

FADs are a type of floating ocean lure which enables large fishing vessels to haul in large amounts of marine life with less effort than other fishing methods.

This marine life can often includes baby tuna, other fish, sharks, sea turtles and numerous other creatures which are tossed back into the ocean dead or dying.

For interviews contact:

Simon Black

Greenpeace Senior Media Campaigner

0418 219 086 / simon.black@greenpeace.org

The latest idea - to brighten clouds[1] so they can better deflect the sun’s rays and help to cool the waters surrounding the Reef - show the desperation felt in the community, Greenpeace campaigner Alix Foster Vander Elst said.

“Last month we had tourism operators hoping to use giant pumps to blast cold water over the Reef to stop coral bleaching [2] and this month we have scientists trying to essentially turn the sky into a giant mirror,” Alix said.

“Regardless of the scheme’s merits these schemes sound like something out of a James Bond movie and they show how far people are willing to go to try to find a way to protect one of Australia’s greatest natural treasures.

“We know what is causing the bleaching on the Reef - climate change and we need to take immediate action to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

“But instead of this, the government is considering giving $1 billion to a billionaire mining corporation to help them create a mine which will detonate a carbon bomb right next door to the Reef.

“They do nothing to address climate change and leave everyone else to come up with schemes like giant pumps and reflective clouds.”

[1] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-25/cloud-brightening-could-help-cool-great-barrier-reef/8469960

[2] http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/mediacentre/media-releases/Plan-to-use-giant-pump-to-cool-Great-Barrier-Reef-shows-why-we-should-throw-cold-water-on-Carmichael-coal-mine-proposal-/

For interviews contact:

Simon Black

Greenpeace Senior Media Campaigner

0418 219 086 / simon.black@greenpeace.org

The standing exhibit has today been erected in front of Westfield, showing a polar bear perched atop a slowly melting iceberg along with a message inviting passers-by to commit to take action on climate change.

The drips steadily erode the polar bear’s home until one of the passers-by interacts with the display, at which point the drips begin to slow down in the air until they are frozen perfectly still and even reverse to flow back up into the iceberg.

“One of the challenges of climate change is that people find it difficult to see the effect their efforts have on such a huge, global problem,” Greenpeace campaigner Nic Seton said.

“Today we are excited about the opportunity to show people how their actions can quickly add up to slow, freeze, and even begin to reverse the damage done to our environment.

“As a passer-by gets involved, the melting starts to slow down.  And as more and more people get involved, their efforts make a visible difference in the fight against climate change.”

Greenpeace worked with Ogilvy Mather Singapore to conceptualise and build the reverse climate change interactive display.

For interviews, pictures, and video contact:

Simon Black

Greenpeace Senior Media Campaigner

0418 219 086 / simon.black@greenpeace.org

This commitment, released by the bank as part of its Position Statement and 2020 Action Plan [1], means the bank will not fund any projects in the Galilee Basin - including the proposed Carmichael mega-mine.

"Westpac’s announcement today is a major win for the Australian people, and an important step on the road to a clean energy future we all can enjoy,” Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Nikola Casule said.

“In recent years the public have sent a clear message to Australia’s financial institutions that they want them to fund the future and protect natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef by getting out of fossil fuels.

“To their credit, Westpac have listened to these concerns, they have heard, and they are acting.

“It shows that people working together can sway even the largest institutions.”

Greenpeace are calling on the Commonwealth Bank to follow the lead set by Westpac and to commit to a ban on funding any new coal projects.

“Commonwealth Bank have invested more money in fossil fuels than any other bank, as shown by research from analysts Market Forces,” Casule said. [2]

“This announcement means that CommBank are being left even further behind in their stance on coal and fossil fuels and are yet to rule out the Carmichael mega-mine.

“The people of Australia have shown that they demand better than our banks profiting from the destruction of our environment.  

“Banks are starting to listen. CommBank needs to listen too.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

[1] https://www.westpac.com.au/content/dam/public/wbc/documents/pdf/aw/sustainability/WestpacCCEActionPlan.pdf

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/mar/06/big-australian-banks-invest-7bn-more-in-fossil-fuels-than-renewables-says-report

For interviews contact:

Simon Black

Greenpeace Senior Media Campaigner

0418 219 086 / simon.black@greenpeace.org 

Media reports that companies associated with the Carmichael coal mine project are accused of money laundering, corruption and financial crimes are yet more reasons why the Government should not fund Carmichael.

The Greenpeace document outlines the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) Board’s network of connections to banks and mining  companies, special relationships that open questions about their independence.

“Building the Carmichael coal mine is in itself a ludicrous proposition, let alone lending the company a billion dollars of taxpayer’s money that we may never get back. Our investigation shows the public how important it is to stop Carmichael right now, before we wreck a valuable part of Queensland,” said Greenpeace Campaigner Jonathan Moylan.

The points above are detailed in ‘Off Track: Why NAIF Can’t Approve the Carmichael Rail project’, available to download at the Greenpeace Australia Pacific website.

The report argues that a $1bn loan for the Carmichael Rail Project would probably not satisfy three of NAIF’s own criteria:

1. The project will not be of public benefit, since tax revenues and job creation will be low and the rail line cannot easily be used for other purposes;

2. The company asking for the loan has stated it has sufficient capital to proceed without NAIF’s financial assistance; and

3. In the long-term, falling coal prices and collapsing demand in India may mean the $1bn loan may never be repaid or refinanced.

The Greenpeace report also notes that several NAIF Board members who would be involved in approving such a loan are closely linked to the mining industry. This calls into question the Board’s ability to take an objective and unbiased decision on behalf of Australian taxpayers.

Mr. Moylan concluded: “Australians shouldn’t be paying to send coal to a country that doesn't even want it, at a time when we, India and the entire world have agreed to reduce fossil fuels and carbon emissions. Loaning $1bn to Carmichael doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“Amazon continues to talk a good game on renewables but is keeping its customers in the dark on its energy decisions. This is concerning, particularly as Amazon expands into markets served by dirty energy,” said Greenpeace USA Senior IT Analyst, Gary Cook. 

”Like Apple, Facebook, and Google, Netflix is one of the biggest drivers of the online world and has a critical say in how it is powered. Netflix must embrace the responsibility to make sure its growth is powered by renewables, not fossil fuels and it must show its leadership here” continued Cook.

Netflix has one of the largest data footprints of the companies profiled, accounting for one third of internet traffic in North America and contributing significantly to the worldwide data demand from video streaming. The company announced in 2015 that it intended to fully offset its carbon footprint, but a closer examination reveals it is likely turning to carbon offsets or unbundled renewable energy credits, which do little to increase renewable energy investment

For the first time, this year’s report also evaluates Asian companies including tech giants Tencent, Baidu, Alibaba, and Naver, which are steadily expanding globally. The region is well behind the US market in renewable commitments, due in large part to fewer clean energy options from monopoly utilities. 

“Leading tech companies in the US have shown that clean power can be both good for the environment and for business. East Asian companies must step up to embrace that reality as well,” said Jude Lee, Senior Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.

Nearly 20 IT companies have committed to 100% renewable energy use now. Among all data centres evaluated, Switch - a new entry to this year’s report - is making the best progress to transitioning its data center fleet to renewables through both procurement and aggressive advocacy. 

The IT industry’s energy footprint accounted for 7% of global electricity in 2012, a number set to grow as global internet traffic increases, and even exceed 12% by 2017. Video streaming accounts for 63% of global internet traffic in 2015, and is projected to reach about 80% by 2020, according to Cisco Network Traffic Forecast, 2016. 

Greenpeace has benchmarked the energy performance of the IT sector since 2009. Greenpeace is calling on all major internet companies to:

• Make a long term commitment to become 100% renewably powered.
• Commit to be transparent on IT energy performance and consumption of resources, including the source of electricity, to enable customers, investors, and stakeholders to measure progress toward that goal.
• Develop a strategy for increasing their supply of renewable energy, through a mixture of procurement, investment, and corporate advocacy to both electricity suppliers and government decisionmakers.

Notes to editors:

[1] Greenpeace USA’s report Clicking Clean: Who is Winning the Race to Build a Green Internet? can be found at http://www.clickclean.org/downloads/ClickClean2016%20HiRes.pdf
[2] The full Cisco Network Traffic Forecast, 2016 can be found at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/service-provider/vni-network-traffic-forecast/infographic.html
[3] Photos and video can be accessed here: http://media.greenpeace.org/collection/27MZIFJJRUIB7

Media contacts:

Maria Elena De Matteo, Global Communications Strategist, Greenpeace East Asia, mariaelena.dematteo@greenpeace.org, phone +39 333-9860831

Greenpeace International Press Desk, pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org, phone: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours)

“Earlier this week, Prime Minister Turnbull claimed that his support for coal was ‘pragmatic and practical’. He said opposition to the fossil fuels that drive climate change was merely ‘ideological’.

“Mr Turnbull needs to rethink this irrational and frankly absurd position. Scientists have proven the year 2016 was the warmest on record. And it’s no secret why. The mining and burning of coal is driving global warming to record highs - creating extreme weather events like heatwaves, hurricanes and bushfires.

“As the world’s biggest coal exporter, Australia is directly responsible. Instead of flirting with the coal industry, Mr Turnbull needs to implement a ban on new coal mines and start transitioning Australia away from fossil fuels and towards clean, safe renewable energy.”