Voormalige topeconoom van BHP dringt aan op strenger overheidsbeleid om mijnbouwbedrijven te dwingen te decarboniseren
Dr Huw McKay, BHP's former chief economist, called for a carbon price calibrated to move the needle on hard-to-abate emissions, arguing voluntary corporate commitments are unstable and a carbon-price obligation in investment processes would drive swifter action. BHP has already met its 2030 target of 30% below 2020 levels through power purchasing agreements and the suspension of its Western Australian nickel operations, but its longer-term net-zero goal requires electrifying its diesel fleet and transforming its gas- and diesel-powered inland grid; leaked documents showed it shelved a 50MW solar farm and 20MW battery at Jimblebar, delayed a 500MW renewables system, and continued acquiring 62 diesel haulage trucks despite earlier pledges. The federal safeguard mechanism, which mandates annual emissions-intensity cuts at large industrial sites, delivered a 2.3% reduction in onsite emissions this year.