Climate Clash: Activists Disrupt Woodside Energy AGM

Climate change activists disrupted Woodside Energy's annual general meeting, confronting CEO Meg O’Neill over gas projects and sustainability measures. Shareholders, including major pension funds, protested against the company's climate strategy. Woodside faces criticism for its carbon emissions and the impact of projects on local environments.

On Thursday, a group of climate change activists made their presence felt by disrupting Woodside Energy's annual general meeting. The activists blew whistles and heckled Chief Executive Meg O'Neill, calling into question the company's sustainability efforts and gas projects.

During the meeting, anger was not only directed from activists but also came from investors, including Australian pension funds HESTA and Aware, who lodged protest votes over Woodside's climate risk oversight. O'Neill attempted to address the concerns but faced staunch opposition as protesters yelled for accountability.

Despite these disruptions, Woodside went ahead with its operations, having recently greenlit a $17.5-billion LNG project in the U.S. However, meetings featured significant dissent, with a notable 19.45% of shareholders voting against the re-election of an influential committee chair on climate risk, highlighting the ongoing friction within the organization.

(With inputs from agencies.)