This morning something incredible has just happened. Young people across Australia dealt a massive blow to the giant Adani coal mine planned for central-west Queensland: Australia's second-largest bank, Westpac, have just ruled out investing in new coal basins, which means no funding for Adani’s coal mine! Power the campaign to stop the government handing $1 billion to Adani by becoming a monthly donor to AYCC today. With our collective power, grassroots strength and refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer, we finally won!!
This means that protests have made every big Australian bank distance themselves from investing in the biggest coal mine in the Southern Hemisphere. We are so much more powerful than we are led to believe.
Right now though, the Adani coal mine has one remaining lifeline - Prime Minister Turnbull wants to set aside $1 billion of your money to fund this coal mine. Over the next fortnight, our Government needs to hear from thousands of people about why they should rule out funding this coal mine.
With the Federal Budget in two weeks, and a decision expected soon, now is our opportunity to send the Australian Government a message they can’t ignore: young people don’t want them to use our money to fund this coal mine. There will be actions at MP offices, a big creative stunt in Canberra and we’ll flood social media with our message. If you believe the power of young people, become a Champion of Change with the AYCC and power the campaign to stop this outrageous taxpayer funded handout to a coal mining billionaire.
Westpac were the first big bank we ever targeted - back in 2014 we met our first bank manager in Canberra.
Since then, thousands of you have moved your money, we have held over 3000 branch and HQ actions, built relationships with thousands of bank staff and found out that 83% of them wanted Westpac to rule out funding Adani, held rallies, covered cities and ATMs with our message, and so much more.
The only way we can win and stop Adani for good is if people stand together -- that means our politicians need to hear your voice.
Time and time again, we’ve shown that we can take on the impossible and win. Together over the last three years we've convinced Lend Lease, NAB, and now Westpac to pull out of coal projects in the Galilee Basin, and CommBank and ANZ to distance themselves from the Adani coal mine. Our power is unstoppable, when we work together we can do anything.
By becoming a regular giver to the AYCC, your ongoing support can send a clear message to our coal-obsessed Government: when they give handouts to coal projects, young people across the country will fight back - and win!
I am so incredibly proud of the young people across Australia who led the campaign against Westpac. You did it! We're winning and are so close to stopping Adani once and for all!!
Gemma, for the whole (very excited) AYCC and Seed teams
P.S. If you’re a young person who wants to
be on the winning team, then you should come to Power Shift. It’s Australia’s
biggest youth climate summit and where you’ll learn how to win campaigns just
like this. Grab your ticket
here and use the code WESTPACWIN to get a discount!
Here is Westpac’s
new sustainability policy that we’ve been pressuring them to fix in line with
what our climate needs, and they did it, they ruled out new thermal coal basins.
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition
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Other reporting:
Australia does not rule out government loan for Adani mine project - Resources Minister Matthew Canavan says Westpac's decision on coal is 'illogical' - Federal Labor backtracks on support of Adani's planned Carmichael coal mine - Westpac anti-Queensland: government minister - Turnbull's foolish gamble to pander to Big Fossil over Adani coal mine - Canavan slams Westpac 'wimps' - Government slams Westpac for coal investment decision - Turnbull opens lemonade stand to fund Adani projects - ‘Government support for Adani's giant coal mine is scientifically and morally unjustifiable´ - Financial blow for Adani as Westpac rules out funding Carmichael mine - Westpac's anti-coal stance exposes a government out of sync with business and public on climate - Minister calls on Queenslanders to boycott Westpac - ‘Pythonesque': Westpac's climate policy seen to rule out lending to Adani coal - Adani accuses Aurizon of 'stifling hope' in regional Queensland - Adani and Aurizon at war over huge pot of money being offered by federal government
A huge victory for people power!
Great news this morning!
Westpac just released their climate change policy that rules out investing in new coal basins, including the Galilee Basin where Adani’s coal mine is planned.
This is a huge victory for people power! Big shout out to the amazing groups in the #StopAdani alliance who led on this campaign – 350, AYCC and Market Forces.
Let’s celebrate this incredible moment and get pumped for what’s next – the #StopAdani national week of action to shift the politics 15-19th May!
In the next few weeks, the Turnbull government could handover $1billion of public money to prop up Adani’s giant polluting megamine. If we can ramp up the pressure like we did for Westpac we can stop this in its tracks.
Here’s how you can get involved to turn up the heat on Turnbull!
Will you host a #StopAdani national week of action event during 15-19th May? It’s easy to organise an event and post it on our website. People are organising actions all over Australia to pressure local Members of Parliament.
Your action can be BIG or small! You can drop into your Member of Parliament’s electorate office to say you oppose public funding for Adani’s project with a couple of friends. Every little action, combined together, will make this week buzz.
Or do something bigger, get creative and invite your local paper to take a picture!
Here’s a handy toolkit to help organise an action. Check out the toolkit, get some friends or your local group together to help! We’ll tell the rest of the ACF community about your action too.
For your action, you can:
For 5 days, we’ll escalate the pressure on our federal MPs locally, so the Turnbull government is feeling the heat nationally. We’ll write to them, phone them, meet with them, turn up at their events and protest outside their offices. We won’t give up until the Turnbull Government rules out public funding for Adani’s disastrous mine.
It doesn’t matter which party your MP belongs to. We want MPs from all parties to feel the heat until they’re screaming from the rooftops – no public money to prop up Adani’s megamine. This puts even more pressure on the Turnbull Government!
The Turnbull government needs to hear loud and clear from the community and the politicians we elected to represent us – we won’t stand for our public money being used to prop up this disastrous mine.
We know we can win this! Just like Westpac, our MPs will be worried about all the public pressure. So, let’s get on with it. Host an event during the national week of action. Use the toolkit to help you plan.
Basha
Basha Stasak
Healthy Ecosystems Campaigner
Australian Conservation Foundation
P.S. For those of you who have already organised a Westpac action, we’ll be in touch ASAP to let you know what this big win means for your action.