Coal ports on the Great Barrier Reef? That’s risky business. Send a message to your bank! We need to show our big 4 banks that Australians from all walks of life and all parts of the country care about the Reef. Send your bank a postcard now! Go! Sign the Petition
Who do you bank with? Are you a concerned bank staff member? Tell us here
The Problem: Right now the Great Barrier Reef and our climate is at risk from plans to build the world’s biggest coal port in Reef waters at Abbot Point, 50km from the Whitsundays. Why is it a bad idea? Find out more
The Solution: The good news is that if we can convince Australian banks that Reef destruction is risky business, then the Abbot Point coal port expansion is unlikely to go ahead. That’s where you come in. Help out! We need to show our banks that Australians from all walks of life, from all parts of the country, want to see the Reef protected. No matter who you are, your voice will make a difference. Are you in? Find out what you can do.
The Problem
Right now the Great Barrier Reef and our climate is at risk from plans to build the world’s biggest coal port in Reef waters at Abbot Point, 50km from the Whitsundays. If plans to expand Abbot Point go ahead, it will open up one of the biggest reserves of coal in the world – the Galilee Basin. We can’t afford to let this happen for two reasons:
* At peak production, the Galilee Basin would result in more annual carbon pollution than Canada – essentially meaning game over for the climate.
* The expansion of Abbot Point would damage the fragile Great Barrier Reef through dredging, dumping, and increased shipping – all in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, an area that’s so internationally treasured that it’s meant to be protected from this kind of destruction.
The Solution
The good news is that if we can convince Australian banks that Reef destruction is risky business, then the Abbot Point coal port expansion is highly unlikely to go ahead. No one has the money to build this massive coal port themselves, and so coal companies are likely to need Australia’s biggest banks to offer them loans. This should be an easy decision: already big international banks (Deutsche Bank, HSBC, and the Royal Bank of Scotland) have said they won’t be involved in Reef destruction. That’s why if thousands of Australians make their voices heard, we know that we can make sure that Australian banks make the right decision. Join the campaign by signing our petition, or sign up to help us get the message out as a volunteer.
Take Action
* Community members call on Australian banks to protect the Reef and our climate
* Australian banks publicly rule out involvement in Reef destruction
* Massive new coal ports don’t go ahead, and the Reef and our climate is protected
Send your bank a message!
Right now the Great Barrier Reef and our climate is at risk from plans to build the world’s biggest coal port at Abbot Point, but if we can convince the CEOs of Australian banks that Reef destruction is risky business, then we can make sure this coal port is scrapped for good. Send a postcard to the CEOs right now and tell them why you want them to protect the Reef and our climate.
Other ways to Take Action
* Sign the Letter And add your voice
* Volunteer Help us get the message out
* Donate Chip in to support the campaign
About the AYCC
This campaign is being led by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC), in partnership with organisations large and small from across the country. The AYCC is one of Australia’s largest youth-run organisations, with more than 100,000 members. We educate, inspire, and empower young people to take action on climate change. We recognise that to address climate change, Australia must move beyond coal and gas and instead focus on investing in powering our economy by clean, renewable energy. This includes ensuring that our national treasure, the Great Barrier Reef, doesn’t get turned into the world’s biggest coal port. In 2014 we successfully called on one of Australia’s biggest construction companies, Lend Lease, to publicly rule out involvement in Abbot Point. To find out more about our project and campaigns, go to aycc.org.au or email [email protected].