Notes and observations from ACCR’s courtroom test of Santos’ climate targets
ACCR's greenwashing allegations against Santos could set the stage for future lawsuits. Here's what we know so far.
Legal teams for Santos and the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) have presented their final arguments to Federal Court of Australia Judge Brigitte Markovic, in a landmark case testing the veracity of a company’s net-zero plan.
The lawsuit has seen top barristers Neil Young KC and Noel Hutley SC, along with their juniors, go toe to toe over statements made by Santos in its 2020 and 2021 investor-related documents. The documents included "net zero" emissions reduction plans and descriptions of natural gas as “clean energy” or blue hydrogen as “clean” and “zero emissions.”
As Capital Brief has previously reported, a ruling in favour of the ACCR could set a precedent for increased scrutiny of corporate net-zero claims, potentially leading to a surge in similar lawsuits.
if Santos has successfully convinced Markovic that its climate goals were based on “reasonable grounds”, other companies may feel emboldened to push back against complaints about their environmental plans.
