A Gas Fired Recovery Will Fudge Our Future

We can Unfudge our Future by powering up with renewables. Australia is ready, so let’s get to it! Join us in calling on our Federal MPs to pledge to ditch gas this Budget.

Like putting sardines in our Phish Food, there are just some things that just don't make sense – and handouts to gas companies is one of them

Right now, our planet needs us to build back better. We can do this by investing in renewable energy and creating millions of sustainable jobs in the process. Pouring dough into gas isn’t our future - gas is a dirty fossil fuel, it’s driving the climate crisis, and it’s not wanted in Australia.

It’s game over for gas. Let’s make our voices louder than the fossil fuel industry and demand better of our politicians!

The Issue

We don’t have to tell you the climate crisis is real in Australia – the extreme heatwaves, droughts, bushfires and floods we have experienced in the past year are all driven by a dangerously changing climate.

Sadly, in 2020 our leaders had some coal stuck in their ears because instead of creating a better Australia with jobs in renewable energy and sustainable industries, our leaders announced pouring all that public dough into a “gas fired recovery”. This isn’t a coincidence – the fossil fuel lobby gives millions in donations to our Government, and in return, the Government makes decisions that support fossil fuels.

Burning gas for energy is a major problem for us and our planet. Gas is a fossil fuel that releases CO2 when it’s burnt, and dirty methane gas when it’s mined, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO2. The Government is wanting to pour lots of dough into getting more gas out of the ground. That would lock Australia into more dirty fossil fuel infrastructure. Instead, we should be using cleaner and cheaper renewables like wind and solar instead, and creating millions of jobs in the process.

And it’s not just the planet that loses with gas - climate justice is also social justice and gas has a very real impact on people. Opening up new gas basins will force fracking on many Traditional Owners and communities across the country who have been standing up against toxic fracking gas fields because of the many risks to the community that fracking brings.

The good news is that we actually don’t need gas! We have all the technology we need to scale up clean renewable energy so that we can rapidly transition to the low carbon economy of the future. We can skip the dirty fossil fuels and head straight to clean energy with solar and wind all across Australia. With renewable energy we can build jobs, make dough from exports and most importantly – ensure Australia is contributing to a safe, just and equitable future for all.

We have all the solutions, now is the time for our leaders to invest in them– and together we need to raise our voice before the Government announces its big spending plans in the Federal Budget!

Our Partners

  • 350.org Australia is building a grassroots movement here in Australia to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, and support a just transition from coal, oil and gas to a renewable-energy future for all. We are part of a global movement that is fighting for climate justice in 188 countries.

FAQs

  • Ben & Jerry’s has teamed up with 350.org Australia to urge Australia’s leaders to ditch gas this budget and fund our future for renewables instead! Ben & Jerry’s is inviting fans to join in the call by sending a message to our leaders asking them to invest in clean energy for all Australians in the 2021 budget. Ben & Jerry’s believe the sweetest recipe is stopping further funding to the gas industry and spending that money on renewable energy instead! In the longer term, our work with 350.org Australia is to build and grow the climate justice movement so that the movement for change continues to grow and make change.

  • We know there is no climate justice without justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Opening up new gas basins will force fracking on many Traditional Owners and communities across the country who have been standing up against toxic fracking gas fields for over a decade because of the real risks to their communities' local jobs, health and water.

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have cared for Country for thousands of years. Traditional Owners already have the solutions and know the land they care for better than anyone else. It’s time that we provided resources to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions rather than spend this money propping up a dying fossil fuel sector.

  • The gas we are talking about is the same gas (fossil gas) that we use for our BBQs, however, it’s the opening up of huge new gas projects that we are fighting against.

    The Government is trying to open up huge new gas basins that would have a massive impact on our climate, a majority of which would be exported overseas.

    We don’t need to burn gas for energy when we have abundant and cheap energy from renewables!

  • Ben & Jerry’s has ambitious science-based greenhouse gas emission targets. We’ve made a commitment, as has Unilever, to transition to 100% clean energy by 2025. Unilever transitioned to 100% renewable energy in 2020. We’ve invested in a solar array that generates about 20% of the electricity we use at our Waterbury, VT factory and have a bio-digester at our Hellendoorn factory that turns waste from the manufacturing process into clean energy. In addition, our hometown of Burlington, VT was the first city in the country to achieve 100% of its electricity from clean energy sources. However, if we shut our company down tomorrow, our planet is still headed over a cliff. That’s why in addition to all the things we’re doing to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions, we’re outspoken advocates for policies that drive system change and speed the transition to a fossil fuel free future and we aspire to be an ally to all those demanding urgent action on climate.

  • We get it – we are an ice cream company talking about ditching gas! We understand that the greenhouse gas footprint of producing ice cream is significant. Being part of the problem means we need to be part of the solution, too.

    We are working hard on science-based targets so we can do our part to keep warming below 1.5 Degrees. Right now, part of that focus is on moving towards dairy free alternatives like sunbutter and coconut. We also know we need to reduce methane from the source – our caring dairy cows! We are currently working with local universities to trial innovative ideas such as feeding seaweed to cows to reduce methane. By focusing on our science-based targets, we can ensure we are in line with the latest climate science and doing everything we can to reduce our own impact.

    Each pint of ice cream we make produces roughly 2 lbs of greenhouse gasses, with our non-dairy range producing half of that. We’ve worked hard over the years to reduce our emissions at all levels of our supply chain. But to be clear, it’s not enough and there is much more work to be done.

  • Presenting the facts on climate change is something Ben & Jerry’s is committed to doing. We have a dedicated social mission manager who invests lots of time making sure we are up to date with the latest news and scientific updates on all thing’s climate change. In particular, we work closely with our partners and allies The Climate Council who share information, fact check, and keep us in the loop on all things climate change and science. The Climate Council is made up of an independent scientific body so the information we share with you is scientifically accurate and up to date.

    Want to know more about the Climate Council? We recommend keeping some time aside to check out the resources on their website, or following them on Instagram - they are an amazing wealth of important information!