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Fremantle’s inaugural football manager Gerard McNeill and ex-player Dale Kickett are among the high-profile signatories of an open letter urging the Dockers to sever sponsorship ties with Woodside Energy.
Australia’s biggest exporter of natural gas, Woodside will have been a major partner of the Dockers for 13 years by the time its current sponsorship contract runs out at the end of 2023.
As part of its patronage, Woodside has invested heavily in Fremantle’s Indigenous program and displays its logo on the club’s guernsey.
Since re-committing to the Dockers in October last year, Woodside has merged with BHP’s oil and gas assets to become one of the 10 biggest independent energy companies in the world by production.
According to the Clean Energy Regulator, Woodside’s production of 9.1 million tonnes of greenhouse gases made the company the ninth-highest emitter in Australia for the 2020-21 financial year.
The company is currently developing Project Scarborough, which non-profit organisation Climate Analytics says undermines Australia’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.
On Wednesday morning, a group of 10 high-profile Dockers fans released an open letter encouraging the club to end its relationship with Woodside.
The group includes Kickett, McNeill, former WA premier Carmen Lawrence, author Tim Winton, Nobel Prize-winning climate scientist Bill Hare and former Woodside climate change advisor Alex Hillman.
“Climate change is already creating catastrophic and deadly conditions for communities here and overseas, alongside massive harm to natural systems that support our economy and wellbeing,” the letter reads.
“All responsible institutions have an obligation to signal that we must accelerate the transition to a decarbonised economy and cease all new fossil fuel projects.”
McNeill likened moving on from Woodside to bans on cigarette advertising in Australian sport.
“The time came when that was no longer appropriate, and it is the same today with fossil fuel companies like Woodside,” he said in a statement.
“This is important leadership the club can provide regarding growing concerns about climate change.”
The group’s letter comes as major sponsor Alinta Energy opts not to renew its contract with Cricket Australia after Australian Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins urged CA to align itself with sustainable sponsors.
In a statement, Cricket Australia insisted Alinta’s decision related to a change in brand strategy, not Cummins’ comments.
Elsewhere, Netball Australia will honour its multi-million dollar contract with mining company Hancock Prospecting despite concerns from Indigenous squad member Donnell Wallam.
© AAP
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