Oil and gas producer Woodside’s annual general meeting has been disrupted by noisy protesters amid scrutiny over the company’s environmental record.
Chief executive and managing director Meg O’Neill deferred to promotional and sponsorship videos as protesters repeatedly blew high-pitched sport whistles during her opening remarks for Woodside’s AGM at Crown Towers in Perth.
“Look, as Richard said, we are not inclined to tolerate disruptions. We’re happy to field your questions, though we’ve got plenty of those videos,” Ms O’Neill told the meeting.
“Let’s show that (Fremantle) Dockers video again.”
The chief asked to cut to the promotional videos several times as protesters were removed.
“Well, I wish folks would have watched that video, because it really illustrates the point we’re trying to make,” Ms O’Neill said.
Chair Richard Goyder heaped wry criticism on the activists when he took the stand ahead of shareholder votes.
“I trust those who disrupted the meeting had their lights and air conditioning and pool filters and everything else off at 6.30pm on the 20th of January this year,” he said.
The chair was referring to a record heatwave in summer that caused a massive spike in energy demand, and LNG to become the primary source of electricity supply.
“No doubt, they’ll all be walking home, so you might want to give them a lift,” he said.
Almost 20 per cent of shareholders voted against the re-election of director Ann Pickard, who is also chair of Woodside’s sustainability committee.
Multiple environmental groups, proxy advisors and larger investors had called for shareholders to vote against keeping Ms Pickard on the board.
“Given the ongoing pattern of significant shareholder opposition to the company’s climate strategy, we would expect a more robust response from both management and the board,” proxy advisory services company Glass Lewis wrote in a paper on Woodside.
Ms Pickard said the sustainability chair role wasn’t “the most popular job”, and noted it would be her last term on the board.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in climate change impact assessments,” she told the meeting.
“That’s one of the reasons I’ve been a big supporter of liquefied natural gas, as I see gas as a superb fuel to help transition us to a non-carbon world in the future and in the community.”
Market Forces senior analyst Brett Morgan said most investors had failed to pressure the company on its climate plan.
“Some investors have demonstrated conviction by opposing Woodside’s polluting oil and gas growth strategy but others are falling for corporate greenwash and failing to pressure the company to rein in its rampant expansion plans,” he said.
“Most Australians want real climate action and it’s high time all of our super funds demand an end to Woodside’s dangerous oil and gas expansion plans.”
Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive David Ritter was calling on shareholders to reject Woodside’s plans to drill in Scott Reef off West Australia’s coast.
“Woodside’s planned Browse gas field would entail drilling up to 50 wells as close as two kilometres from Scott Reef, home to nesting sea turtles, endangered pygmy blue whales and dusky sea snakes.
“Woodside wants to turn Scott Reef into an industrial gas zone.”
In April, Woodside announced it would forge ahead with a $US17.5 billion ($A27.2 billion) Louisiana liquefied natural gas project, which it said would not impact its greenhouse gas emissions targets.
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