The Enterprise Council of Australia (BCA) is an business physique made up of the chief executives of roughly 110 of the nation’s largest companies. These embrace monetary providers and banking, manufacturing, transport and telecommunications. However behind the BCA’s declare to symbolize all sectors of the financial system lies a troubling fact: a good portion of its board and membership are deeply tied to the fossil gas business.
Who does the BCA actually symbolize?
The BCA says that it “represents Australia’s largest employers, advocating for good coverage on behalf of the enterprise group and the Australians they make use of,” positioning itself as a impartial organisation representing a cross-section of industries. Nonetheless, 22 fossil gas and extractive business firms have normal membership within the BCA, together with BP, Woodside, and Shell. This determine represents 16.5% of the whole firms. 14 of those (10.5%) are instantly concerned with, supporting or related to the coal business.
BCA 2025 membership by sector.
Based on the ABS Labour Account, roughly 34,300 people had been employed in Australia’s coal mining sector throughout 2021–22. That yr, the coal business comprised 36,000 jobs, representing simply 0.2% of the whole 14.9 million jobs throughout all industries. This disparity is notable, as its membership base is 52.5 instances bigger than the whole variety of jobs within the coal sector, which accounts for less than 0.2% of nationwide employment.
Boardroom ties: fossil gas affect on the coronary heart of the BCA
From 2021 to 2025, the BCA’s board has comprised 18 members, a number of of whom have served for a number of consecutive years. Publicly out there data on LinkedIn and the BCA web site reveals that over 50% of board members of BCA board members previously 5 years possess hyperlinks to the fossil gas business.
Map of BCA board members from 2021-2025 and their ties to the fossil gas business
This supplies additional proof of the non-neutrality of the BCA, notably when in comparison with the mere 17% that fossil gas and extractive industries make up typically BCA membership. These connections stem from previous or present employment with firms which are affiliated with the fossil gas sector. A few of these are a part of this business, akin to Woodside, ExxonMobil and Rio Tinto, whereas others are deeply linked, together with DOW, AI Group, Wesfarmers and EY. A few of these folks have a number of connections. For example, present board member Meg O’Neil is the Chief Government Officer of Woodside, and has beforehand labored for ExxonMobil, American Petroleum Institute and Nationwide Petroleum Council. She can be the present chair of Australian Power Producers.
Share of BCA Board Members Concerned within the fossil gas business. Be aware: As a result of low turnover price amongst Board members, some people seem a number of instances within the desk, leading to repeated entries and related information.
The constant development of board members with fossil gas connections taking over nearly all of board positions will increase the probability of board selections being influenced in favour of that sector.
BCA’s local weather commitments undermined by fossil gas advocacy
Regardless of representing a broad cross part of Australian companies, lots of whom have company local weather commitments akin to reaching Internet Zero by 2050 in step with the targets of the Paris Settlement, the BCA has been advocating on behalf of its membership for additional fossil gas growth. A latest instance is their advocacy in favour of approving Woodside’s North West Shelf challenge, a transfer permitted by Australian Power Producers, the height physique for the oil and fuel business. The BCA has additionally supplied help for the Authorities’s Future Gasoline Technique, claiming it would present constant vitality provide, contribute to financial development and scale back prices for customers, all claims which were debunked by Greenpeace.
The Enterprise Council of Australia claims to symbolize the total spectrum of Australian business, however its management construction, membership, and advocacy efforts reveal a deep alignment with fossil gas pursuits. If Australia is to maneuver towards a genuinely truthful and sustainable future, it wants enterprise voices that prioritise folks and planet over polluting earnings.
Inform manufacturers to interrupt up with Huge Gasoline
Telstra and Bupa are betraying their local weather commitments.
EMAIL NOW
