Thunberg calls on Siemens to nix Australia coal mine project
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has urged supporters to put pressure on German firm Siemens over its plan to supply equipment to a coal mining operation. The firm says it has "the same goal of fighting climate change."
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Saturday urged German industrial giant Siemens AG to reconsider its plan to provide equipment to a controversial Australian coal mining operation.
As wildfires continue to ravage Australia — the world's biggest coal exporter — Thunberg urged Twitter followers to help by "pushing them to make the only right decision. #StopAdani."
Adani is the name of a new coal mine under construction in Queensland. Run by India's Adani Power, the Australian government approved the project last year. Siemens is supposed to provide part of the signalling system for the railway lines necessary for moving the coal out of the plant and to the coast.
Siemens has already been targeted by the Fridays for Future climate protests, both in the form of physical demonstrations but also some 63,000 emails asking the company to consider climate breakdown and walk back its support for the coal industry.
Florian Martini, a spokesman for Siemens, was quoted by German newspaper taz as saying "we are on the same side and have the goal of fighting climate change."
Australia is one of the world's largest carbon emitters per capita because of its reliance on coal power plants. The ferocity of this year's bushfire season — one of the most devastating in history — against the wider backdrop of climate change has raised questions about Canberra's energy policy. Some 500 million animals have been killed as 10 million hectacres of land have gone up in flames. At least 26 people haved died and thousands of homes destroyed.
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