Did you know the AGL corporation is holding their Annual General Meeting, on October 7 2020 ?
Over the past few years, members and supporters of Save Westernport have attended the AGM to protest against AGL and ask how the Board can allow AGL to embark on a new fossil fuels project in the face of the climate emergency and unmistakable community backlash.
The extent of community opposition confirms that the Crib Point proposal is at odds with every guiding policy that the AGL corporation claims to prioritise. We can draw media attention to this disparity by asking confronting questions about this of the AGL Board in the presence of their shareholders.
The AGM is as an important opportunity to raise these concerns with shareholders and board members, to question their commitment to ‘Social License’ and emphasise the absence of community approval for the Crib Point proposal.
AGL’s hypocrisy in the misrepresentation of the public image they present as a responsible, innovative company is confirmed in their 2019 Sustainability report
AGL claims this policy “can be summarised in terms of leaving a positive legacy; AGL will strive to make a net positive social, economic and environmental contribution to the communities in which we operate. AGL’s community engagement commitments that operate under this framework are that AGL will:
● Be proactive: we will engage with communities early and often, so that we understand and respond to their interests and concerns.
● Be “exible and inclusive: we will offer a range of engagement opportunities that are tailored to the variety of needs and preferences of the communities in which we seek to operate.
● Be transparent: we will act honestly and ethically in all our dealings with the communities in which we operate, to ensure that our activities address community needs and expectations.”
Despite misrepresenting their commitment to sustainability and innovation, the actions of Australia’s biggest carbon polluter confirm a shocking lack of preparedness to confront the climate emergency or to support their customers in the inevitable transition from gas and other fossil fuels.
AGL’s past convictions for deceptive and misleading conduct highlight the need to challenge AGL and their Boardmembers whenever we can. As members of the public we are entitled to expect AGL to live up to the standards they have identified.
AGL has been determined to prolong the country’s hopeless dependence on gas, which has provided the AGL corporation with such sustained inflated profits, not even the destruction of our climate has proven enough of an incentive to ensure responsible action or the fulfillment if their stated aims. them with such enormous profits.
There’s little doubt that sustainable energy solutions would far more advanced, and would likely be ready to roll out now if AGL had not been allowed to spend several years and hundreds of millions of dollars exaggerating gas demand and the possibility of shortages in order to gain approval for their dangerous, inappropriate, irresponsible and out dated gas projects like Crib Point.
When they announced plans at Crib Point, AGL claimed their urgently need for gas to pimminent shortfalls for Victorian families and business. Since then we discovered AGL’s plans for two new gas fired power stations in SA and NSW, plus a third one to be built by pipeline company APA. under construction.
They have never said where they plan to get the gas from.
And yet companies like AGL are under increasing pressure from their own shareholders and insurers to get with the times and do what is required to tackle climbing temperatures before 2050.
The emphasis they put on renewables in their own advertising demonstrates the unmistakable awareness from within these corporations that comes from the highest levels of their strategic planning departments.
They know their shareholders are waking up to the fact that gas is no transition fuel . People expect more— they’re demanding responsible action on climate, and meaningful investment in sustainable projects, rather than just a symbolic commitment that, to AGL means little more than the tokenistic ‘greenwashing’ seen in their advertising.
This year the AGL AGM will be streamed online, due to current COVID restrictions.
Only shareholders are eligible to attend their AGM.
However if you or someone you know holds AGL shares, and would consider providing your shareholder privilege to a member of Save Westernport to ask a question at the AGM to someone at Save Westernport, please contact us to let us know. It is your right as a shareholder to allow a proxy to attend the AGM on your behalf.
This is a legitimate and effective way to exert pressure and encourage change within the corporate realm, used by groups like Sea Shepard, Market Forces and Friends of the Earth with great results.
If you’re an AGL shareholder and you’d like help framing an effective question for you to ask at the AGM on October 7, or for more information, please contact Save Westernport at secretary@savewesternport.org or 59830094.
Save Westernport and Environment Victoria are planning an Action to protest online and send our message to Boardmembers, shareholders and the media, that this community will NEVER accept AGL’s plans to import fossil fuels in Westernport.
We know we have the support of our local Mornington Peninsula Shire Council , and Bass Coast Council, who have each declared a Climate Emergency, and have voted to oppose AGL in Westernport.
In February 2020, the Bass Coast Shire Council Announced:
1. Council declares its strong opposition to the development of fossil fuel assets on Western Port and in particular, opposition to the AGL’s proposed Gas Import Jetty project for Crib Point.
2. That Council will write to the Premier advising him that:
2.1 Council has declared a climate emergency and is currently developing a comprehensive Climate Emergency Action Plan pursuing a community target of zero net emissions
Despite paying lipservice to policies of energy sustainability and innovation, AGL’s actions continue to contradict this position. We aim to challenge them about this whenever we can.
The emphasis placed on renewable energy in their own advertising demonstrates an unmistakable awareness from within the highest levels of their strategic planning departments of how highly this is prioritised by Australians.
They know their shareholders are waking up to the fact that gas is no transition fuel . People expect more— they’re demanding responsible action on climate, and meaningful investment in sustainable projects, rather than just a symbolic commitment that, to AGL means little more than the tokenistic ‘greenwashing’ seen in their advertising.
This year the AGL AGM will be streamed online, due to current COVID restrictions.
Only shareholders are eligible to attend their AGM.
However if you or someone you know holds AGL shares, and would consider providing your shareholder privilege to ask a question at the AGM to someone at Save Westernport, it is your right to allow a proxy shareholder to attend the AGM on your behalf.
This is a legitimate and effective way to exert pressure and encourage change within the corporate realm, used by groups like Sea Shepard, Market Forces and Friends of the Earth with great results.
Or if you’re an AGL shareholder and you’d like help submitting a challenging question that you could ask at the AGM on October 7, or for more information, please contact Save Westernport at secretary@savewesternport.org or 59830094.
Join Save Westernport and Environment Victoria at our online Action as we protest AGL and send an unmistakable message to Boardmembers, shareholders and the media, that this community will NEVER accept AGL’s plans to import fossil fuels in Westernport.
Email us at secretary@savewesternport.org or watch this space for details of our AGM plans.
