Andrew Forrest calls for fossil fuel bosses' 'heads on spikes' in extraordinary outburst on sidelines of UN COP28 climate conference
- Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest is attending the COP28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates
- He says energy bosses should have their heads "put up on spikes" for not committing to phase out fossil fuels
- It comes as some companies, including the national oil company of the UAE, defy calls for a wind-down of fossil fuel use.
There have been a flurry of announcements and commitments aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions during the first week of COP28.
Chief among these was a pledge by more than 100 countries — championed by conference host the United Arab Emirates — to triple the amount of renewable energy across the globe by 2030.
Mr Forrest said none of the announcements made so far would be enough to ensure the success of this year's conference without a definite commitment to ending the use of fossil fuels.
He said there was already strong evidence the world was on track to breach the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
And he took particular aim at the oil and gas bosses who were dismissing the calls, describing them as "selfish beyond belief".
He said their actions were jeopardising the lives of millions of people in overwhelmingly poor countries who were at risk of "lethal humidity", or an inability to cool themselves down.
On Monday, Australia's biggest fossil fuel player Woodside joined a host of other major producers in signing up to the COP28 oil and gas decarbonisation charter.
Under the charter, signatories have agreed to end routine flaring and "near-zero upstream methane emissions" by 2030.
Woodside chief Meg O'Neill said the charter was historic.
Mr Forrest's business empire includes Fortescue, which is Australia's third biggest iron ore miner and a massive polluter in its own right.
This seeming contradiction has been acknowledged by Mr Forrest, who has described himself as a climate "culprit" while stressing his commitment to spending $6 billion cleaning up Fortescue's operations.
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