The WA government has been accused of altering a secret report it commissioned to support its claims that the state’s domestic gas production will help Asia decarbonise.<\/p>\n
A December 2024 draft version seen by the ABC undermined Premier Roger Cook’s oft-repeated claims that WA’s natural gas is critical to helping the world reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions, according to climate and energy analysts.<\/p>\n
The $402,000 report by consultancy firm Deloitte was commissioned by the WA government to assess the “decarbonisation role of Western Australia’s LNG exports to Asia”.<\/p>\n
Now the government has tabled a final version of the report, dated March 2025, with changes throughout.<\/p>\n
‘Significant risk’ removed<\/p>\n
The draft report said natural gas could play a role in transitioning away from other fossil fuels like coal, but warned of “significant” and “substantial” risks that it could achieve the opposite.<\/p>\n
“Natural gas can serve as a bridge from coal and oil to cleaner energy sources. However, it is crucial to address the significant risks of crowding out alternative solutions,” the draft report stated.<\/p>\n
The final report has removed references to “significant” and “substantial” risks.<\/p>\n
“Natural gas can serve as a bridge to cleaner energy sources, but policymakers must be attuned to the risks of infrastructure lock-in, and technology inertia,” the March 2025 version said.<\/p>\n
According to the draft report, gas consumption across Asia would increase by 45 per cent by 2050 under current policies.<\/p>\n
But the final report projects a doubling of that, to 90 per cent.<\/p>\n
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Gas consumption figures have been altered in the final version of the report tabled by the governemnt. (ABC News: Chris Lewis)<\/p>\n
And according to the final report, demand for gas would “peak 20 years later in Asia than the global average”, while the draft claims the peak would occur five years later.<\/p>\n
The new executive summary added to the final report makes no mention of the risks of gas.<\/p>\n
“Western Australia can contribute to the decarbonisation of existing and emerging trade partners through supplying WA LNG (liquefied natural gas),” the summary said.<\/p>\n
“WA can play a key role as a secure, relatively low emissions and low-cost provider of gas.”<\/p>\n
Report ‘was independent’<\/p>\n
In September, the federal government gave final approvals to gas giant Woodside’s North West Shelf project<\/a> off WA’s northern coast, extending its life until 2070.<\/p>\n Australia is one of the biggest exporters of LNG globally, with WA exporting more than half of the country’s total, and carbon emissions in the state are continuing to rise.<\/p>\n A state government spokesperson said the Deloitte report “was drafted and revised independent of government”.<\/p>\n “Both the initial draft and the final version are clear that Western Australia’s gas exports can support Asia’s energy transition,” the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n The WA Government did not respond to questions about why the report was only published this week, despite being finalised in March.<\/p>\n “The government’s Made in WA plan clearly sets out its vision for the state to become a renewable energy superpower,” the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Evidence doctored: Greens<\/p>\n Greens WA fossil fuels and climate change spokesperson Sophie McNeill said it was “astonishing” the amount of information altered or removed in the final report.<\/p>\n “The fact that they have tried to doctor the evidence in a report that was paid for by the taxpayer is absolutely shameful,” she said.<\/p>\n Sophie McNeil describes the government’s actions in altering the report as “shameful”. (ABC News: Alistair Bates)<\/p>\n “No matter how hard they try to spin the facts, this government cannot sell the lie that WA gas is anything other than a dangerous fossil fuel.”<\/p>\n Premier Roger Cook denied Deloitte’s draft report cast doubt on his decarbonisation claims when the ABC and The Guardian revealed it last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n Two groups launch Federal Court appeals against Woodside gas extension<\/a><\/p>\n Two separate appeals are launched in the Federal Court in a bid to overturn the approval of Woodside’s gas hub extension on the North West Shelf.<\/p>\n “Western Australia’s gas will continue to be an important transition fuel for economies right across the world,” he said at the time.<\/p>\n “That’s the message that is in that report. It’s the message that we continue to promote. What the report says is that we have to make it happen.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n