Photo by Curragh Queensland Mining Limited, CC BY-SA 3.0.The discord that led to the departure of Minerals Council of Australia CEO Brendan Pearson has been simmering for some time, and may have additional ramifications.
“BHP has got their man…BHP and Rio Tinto were not always comfortable with his coal advocacy,” an anonymous industry insider told the Australian Financial Review.
Because MCA bases dues on the operational production of its members, very large companies like BHP end up paying significantly more than smaller outfits like Adani. By advocating for a public subsidy for Adani’s coal project, MCA pushed the agenda of a single, small entity with no operational mines in Australia. That decision, along with MCA’s opposition to the Clean Energy Target proposed by the Finkel Review, clashed with the views of BHP and other industry leaders, who view renewable energy as an increasing viable (and necessary) option.
As a major contributor to the MCA, BHP will now be expected to push for a CEO whose views on energy and climate policy are more compatible with its own.
Read the full article in RenewEconomy.