SYDNEY, Friday 5 September 2025 — Greenpeace Australia Pacific has branded the Business Council of Australia’s latest report and modelling as dangerous, delusional and completely unaligned with the latest science.
The BCA’s report comes as Australia looks to submit its 2035 climate target under the Paris Agreement in the coming weeks. Greenpeace says following the BCA’s flawed modelling would be an extraordinary act of self-harm from a government wanting to co-host COP31 with the Pacific and to remain the region’s main development and security partner.
Greenpeace points to the questionable credibility of the consulting firm used to produce the modelling, McKinsey, which has an extensive history working with the fossil fuel industry, and has pushed the interests of its big oil and gas clients on the world stage. The report fails to account for the significant costs of climate inaction to the economy with extreme weather disasters and costs set to soar.
David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “The BCA report is the epitome of cynical short sightedness, that not only puts all of us in danger, but risks robbing Australian businesses of future prosperity and our place in the clean economy.
“The BCA’s advice is consistent with catastrophic warming of well over 2 degrees — exposing communities across Australia to worsening floods and bushfires, decimating our agricultural industry, and pushing our native wildlife to the brink.
“In the middle of the critical decade for urgent action on climate, this bewilderingly short-sighted intervention by the BCA and McKinsey should be dismissed as an unfortunate relic from the past eras of Scott Morrison or Tony Abbott rather than anything fit for purpose in the Australia of 2025.
“The primary duty of the Australian government is to secure the safety of current and future generations of the Australian people–and it is vital that the Albanese government is not distracted by this cynical attempt to derail progress.
“The best available science recommends a target of net zero by 2035. The Albanese government must take this advice and deliver a climate plan that does Australia’s fair share to limit warming to 1.5°C, keeps people safe, and unlocks growth opportunities in a clean economy.”
Solaye Snider, Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “This dangerous advice and junkyard modelling by the Business Council of Australia is completely out of touch with what the science says is required to limit temperature rise to 1.5C, and does nothing more than advance their fossil-fuelled interests.
“With this report, the BCA has reaffirmed it will continue to use bad-faith tactics to undermine any progress towards meaningful climate action in Australia – putting the Paris Agreement at risk and disregarding the fact that 96% of its members have committed to strong climate action.
“How can companies like Telstra, Woolworths, NAB, Bupa, Rio Tinto and others claim to be ‘climate leaders,’ but allow the BCA to do their dirty work advocating for more fossil fuels? If these companies don’t want to be tarred with the same brush, they need to cut ties with the BCA.
“It’s high time the BCA be called out for its two-faced advocacy. It’s 2025 — claiming to support climate action in public while sabotaging this same goal behind closed doors is unacceptable behaviour.
“The Australian Government must listen to the science, not thinly veiled attempts by the BCA to advance the interests of the gas and coal industries.”
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