Make Big Polluters Pay — Email the Treasurer

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Dear Treasurer Jim Chalmers,

Everyday people are paying the costs of climate change while the big coal, oil and gas corporations are making billions and aren’t paying their fair share.

Coal, oil and gas corporations, who are responsible for 75% of Australia’s climate pollution, take billions in government handouts, and they often pay less tax in Australia than your average teacher or nurse.

They make billions, often send profits overseas, and don’t contribute to the costs of dealing with climate change and their climate pollution.

Meanwhile, communities in Australia and the Pacific region are paying the price for climate change through increasing insurance premiums, high food prices, and huge recovery costs from more severe storms, drought, bushfires and floods.

In fact, the cost of climate disasters in Australia is now $38 billion per year, equivalent to $3,800 per household on average. The costs are highest for communities directly hit by disasters, where some families may never recover financially or emotionally.

While communities pay, coal, oil and gas corporations aren’t contributing to covering the costs. This is deeply unfair and it’s getting worse.

Now with the war in the middle east, Australian energy corporations are once again set to make big profits, while everyday people struggle with rising energy prices.

Minister, we urge this government to hold these big corporations to account.

As a first step, we call on you to introduce a 25% gas export levy to ensure gas corporations pay a fairer share of tax.

Then we call on you to introduce a Climate Pollution Levy on the fossil fuel industry to ensure they pay for their climate pollution.

Funds raised from these levies must go into a Climate Compensation Fund that can help support communities in Australia and our region prepare for and recover from climate disasters. It should also go towards helping households get off oil and gas, and with offsetting rising energy costs, especially low-income households and those living in poverty.

At the COP31 climate change negotiations, we urge the Australian Government to unite with other global leaders to announce strong new public climate finance goals, so low-income countries and our Pacific neighbours get the funds they need to transition away from coal, oil and gas and to respond to the impacts of climate change.

I look forward to hearing from you on this important issue.