Priority Areas of Work in Australia
1 —
Fighting Corruption in the Resources Sector
Everyone benefits from transparency. The oil, gas and mining sectors are the world’s most corrupt industries. Dodgy deals, offshore secrecy and a lack of transparency hurt communities in Australia and around the world through less money for schools, hospitals and dealing with extreme weather events.
What We Do
Twenty years ago, Publish What You Pay was founded to campaign for oil, gas and mining companies to publish their payments to governments (such as taxes and royalties), and for governments to be transparent about the revenues they receive.
In Australia, we work with unions, think tanks and industry groups to call on the Australian government to sign up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative – the global gold standard of natural resource governance.
We’re also demanding the Australian government make the 700 ASX listed resource companies operating in more than 100 countries, Publish What You Pay to governments around the world.
In 2020, we uncovered the involvement of Russian oligarch and friend of Putin, Viktor Vekelsberg in a gas company in the Beetaloo Basin, Northern Territory. In response to the war in Ukraine, our research has helped advocacy to pressure the Australian government to introduce sanctions on Viktor Vekelsberg
2 —
Advocating For a Just Energy Transition
We all want to live in a world with clean air, decent work and to share in the benefits of a healthy environment and our natural resources.
Yet the continued use of fossil fuels is contributing to extreme weather events like floods and bushfires. Governments are still funding new fossil fuel projects. Communities risk being left with stranded assets and left to clean up the costs.
Workers and communities should not be left behind as the world transitions to cleaner sources of energy.
What We Do
We’re calling on the Australian government to make mining, oil and gas companies disclose climate related information.
This will help communities, workers and regulators understand the climate impacts of individual mining, oil or gas projects and how companies are managing the energy transition.
As new minerals are required for batteries, solar panels and electric vehicles to drive the energy transition, we are campaigning for greater transparency to reduce the chances of corruption and bad deals that harm communities and our environment.
You can help fund our advocacy tracking the role of Australian fossil fuel companies to ensure the energy transition benefits all everyone.
03 — Myanmar Advocacy
In 2021, the Myanmar military staged a violent coup and is now waging a war of violence upon the people of Myanmar.
Thousands of women, men and children have died. Many more are in prison.
The military is heavily reliant on cash from the resources sector to buy weapons, guns and military hardware.
This must stop…
What We Do
PWYP is demanding international oil and gas companies rule out financing the military regime.
In 2021, our groundbreaking research shone a light on how gas and mining companies are financing the military. We also raised the alarm on how an Australian mining company, Myanmar Metals, was in partnership with military linked business cronies.
Using public data, our advocacy led to giant gas companies, Chevon, Total Energies and Woodside Energy to withdraw from Myanmar.
PWYP conducts ongoing advocacy work in Myanmar, assisting local communities and partners on the ground, to push Australian companies and business figures to ensure no revenue flows to the murderous and corrupt military regime.
Join us.
If you are interested in joining our movement or funding us, please get in touch.
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