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Leaked WA Government Report Says Gas Exports Risk Slowing Asia’s Clean-Energy Shift

The Cabinet-in-confidence study contradicts the state’s claim that LNG exports cut global emissions.

Overview

  • Deloitte’s analysis, commissioned by WA for $402,000 and received in January, finds exports carry “substantial risks” of crowding out renewables or delaying zero‑emissions systems.
  • The report forecasts declining demand in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, with a brief increase in China and India that would need to fall sharply by the mid‑to‑late 2030s to meet net zero.
  • Premier Roger Cook says the draft shows WA gas plays an important role in Asia’s transition and states the report remains under cabinet consideration.
  • Greens and climate analysts accuse the government of withholding findings that undermine the pro‑gas narrative and call for policy reassessment.
  • The leak follows federal approval to extend Woodside’s North West Shelf to 2070, as WA stands alone without a 2030 emissions target and with pollution higher than in 2005.