Australian energy company AGL invites everyone…to suffer.
AGL is Australia’s biggest polluter but has also won awards for diversity inclusion, indicating that it welcomes everyone to suffer from the effects of climate change.
The company was recently awarded Gold Employer status for LGBTQ+ inclusion at the AWEI Awards, while simultaneously earning the title of Australia’s biggest domestic contributor to climate change by Greenpeace. Greenpeace argues that AGL emitted 42.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions in 2019-2020. Greenpeace data confirms that the energy company creates,
“…24.6% of electricity sector emissions and 8% of Australia’s total emissions, which primarily comes from the coal burned at the energy giant’s three coal-burning power stations: Liddell, Bayswater, and Loy Yang A. AGL’s own data confirms that 85% of energy generated by the gentailer comes from burning coal.”
At the same time, AGL boasts publicly that:
“This is the third year we have been awarded Gold Employer status, and the fifth year that we have participated in the AWEI. Our employee-driven LGBTQ+ network, AGL Shine, was created in 2014. The network focuses on providing a safe and inclusive environment for all our employees – while also advocating internally and externally for gender inclusion beyond the heteronormative binary.”
Creating a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people in encouraging, but let’s not beat around the bush. How hard is it to be inclusive in 2022?
Encouraging diversity essentially means treating everyone equally.
How hard is that?
Even if AGL does genuinely support LGBTQIA+ people in the workplace, what exactly does this entail?
It involves affirming the Darlington Statement which articulates the human rights demands of people with intersex variations. A statement written by someone else.
Does it involve paying a diversity trainer or consultant to conduct training sessions on diversity with employees, or hosting social days to celebrate diversity?
Does it involve allowing all staff to choose their own pronouns, and updating HR documents, or posting the rainbow motif on all social media platforms?
It might even include sponsoring a float in Mardi Gras, targeted employment or other active steps. They might even make a difference to the lives of employees.
Remember, however, that government schools throughout Australia are just as inclusive as AGL, but they don’t win awards. They also do so with a fraction of the money available to AGL. They do it with underpaid, overworked, undervalued teachers.
Did AGL win an award because it operates within the resource sector, and is the resource sector full of bigots?
Either way, winning an award for diversity inclusion does not change the fact that AGL is still Australia’s biggest polluter. It does not change the fact that:
Lesbians will suffer from climate change
Gay people will suffer from climate change
Bisexual people will suffer from climate change
Trans people will suffer from climate change
Queer people will suffer from climate change
Intersexed people will suffer from climate change
Asexual people will suffer from climate change
That’s not all.
Males will suffer from climate change
Females will suffer from climate change
Men will suffer from climate change
Women will suffer from climate change
Non binary people will suffer from climate change
Gender neutral/Androgynous people will suffer from climate change
Gender fluid people will suffer from climate change
Agender people will suffer from climate change
Cisgender people will suffer from climate change
Demigender people will suffer from climate change
Gender questioning people will suffer from climate change
Genderqueer people will suffer from climate change
Intergender people will suffer from climate change
Multi-gender, bigender and trigender people will suffer from climate change
Pangender will suffer from climate change
Bois, Tomboys will suffer from climate change
Butch/masc people will suffer from climate change
Femme people will suffer from climate change
Gender noncomforming will suffer from climate change
To the LGBTQIA+ community, don’t be fooled by AGL’s slick marketing campaign. You will suffer the effects of climate change.
To the LGBTQIA+ community, don’t let AGL exploit you to distract Australians from their climate destruction.
kieranblakewriter 