Confidential Western Australian government report warns gas exports risk slowing Asia’s move to clean energy

Tugboats assist an LNG tanker to dock at a port in Yantai, Shandong province, China. A confidential report warns WA gas exports to Asia could slow the transition to renewable energy. Photograph: Reuters

Exports of Australian gas carry “substantial risks” of slowing the move to cleaner energy in Asian countries, according to a confidential report for the Western Australian government that undermines the government’s own narrative that the industry helps cut global emissions.

The warning in the 2024 report by consultants Deloitte challenges the claim made by the Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, in 2023 that his state’s increased greenhouse pollution, largely driven by the vast amount of gas burnt to liquefy gas for export, is justified because it is good for the climate and displaces coal power in Asia.