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to DISCONNECT from Big Gas!
Telstra says it takes climate action seriously. But at the same time, it sits on the board of the Business Council of Australia (BCA) - a lobby group stacked with some of Australia's biggest polluters, hell-bent on pushing for more fossil fuels like gas.
On behalf of its members like Telstra, the BCA has doubled down on its support for polluting gas projects like Woodside's North West Shelf Extension and recently influenced the government to set a dangerously weak 2035 climate target. That's not climate leadership – it's betrayal.
By staying in the BCA and endorsing its lobbying for more fossil fuels, Telstra is breaking the climate promises it's made to customers, shareholders, and the Australian public.
In 2019, Telstra threatened to dump the BCA over its stance on climate change. Since then, the climate crisis has only accelerated.
Enough is enough. Give Telstra a call and ask them to disconnect from Big Gas and walk away from the BCA once and for all.
Your voice matters
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“Telstra talks a big game on climate, but remaining on the board, while the Business Council of Australia lobbies for new gas projects in its name, means Telstra is part of the problem.
Communities across Australia are already facing the real impacts of climate change: extreme bushfires, record-breaking floods, and damaging storms, driven by the burning of fossil fuels like gas. They deserve to know when a company that claims to back climate action is actually doing the opposite."
Solaye Snider – Climate Campaigner
PHONE CALL script
Hi, my name is (your name), I’m calling about Telstra’s membership of the Business Council of Australia and its links to the gas lobby. Please pass on my message to Vicki Brady, CEO of Telstra.
- I’m asking Telstra to cut ties with the Business Council of Australia, which is actively lobbying for more gas projects in Australia and blocking climate action.
- Telstra claims to be a climate leader, but by staying in the BCA it’s throwing its support behind polluting projects like Woodside’s North West Shelf Extension and a dangerously weak climate target.
- Australians are already living through the consequences of climate change caused by the fossil fuel industry, with extreme floods, bushfires and storms – we need companies like Telstra to stand with Australian communities, not the gas lobby.
Please pass on my message to Telstra’s CEO: if they are serious about climate action, they must walk away from the BCA.
- Thank you for your time today.
what's at stake
Dirty fossil fuels like gas are driving the climate crisis – leading to extreme bushfires, more floods, and heatwaves that threaten our communities and our unique wildlife. Yet lobby groups like the Business Council of Australia, with Telstra’s support, are advocating for more gas expansion across Australia.
By staying on the board of the BCA, Telstra is breaking the promises it’s made to its customers, shareholders, and the Australian public, implicitly endorsing policies that will help fossil fuel corporations like Woodside rake in profits – while the rest of us pay the price with climate disasters and higher energy bills.
This is not climate leadership. Telstra must choose: uphold its climate commitments, or side with Big Gas. It can’t do both.
Tips for making an impactful call
You can use our pre-filled script above, or write your own.
Just remember these 3 things:
1. Keep it polite
Telstra’s Leadership Team needs to hear from not just their customers but also from the general public. We want some of Australia’s biggest companies to side with the climate, not with Big Gas. Be respectful but firm when asking them to walk away from the BCA.
2. Be clear
Telstra can’t claim to care about the planet whilst allowing the BCA to lobby for more gas at the same time. As a board member, Telstra has a critical role to play. But if the BCA won’t stop lobbying for more gas, Telstra must cancel its membership now.
3. Spell out risks
Telstra’s climate credentials are at risk. By staying in the BCA and allowing it to lobby for more fossil fuels on Telstra’s behalf, this telecommunications giant risks its reputation, the trust of its customers and shareholders. It also puts at risk the safety of our communities who are already facing increasingly destructive climate disasters.
TIPS FOR TELSTRA
EMPLOYEES
Telstra has an opportunity to show real climate leadership – not just with empty words, but with actions. Telstra employees can help make sure its advocacy matches the company's environmental values, and that its influence within the Business Council of Australia is used to drive climate action, not delay it.
No matter your role, your voice can make a difference. You can help ensure Telstra:
- Publicly opposes new gas expansion, in line with the Paris Agreement.
- Calls on the Business Council of Australia to align its advocacy with Australia's 1.5C commitment and stops promoting fossil fuel expansion.
- Reviews its membership to the BCA if it keeps blocking climate action.
When staff stand together and speak up for stronger climate advocacy, it sends a message leadership can’t ignore. Click below for more information on how employees can support the campaign.
