Environmental Groups Challenge Approval of Major Australian Gas Project in Court

Case over Woodside's North West Shelf extension tests how Australia's environment law handles the climate crisis

Two environmental groups are challenging the Australian government's approval of one of the world's largest gas projects in federal court this week, in a case that could reshape how the country's environmental laws address climate change, the Guardian reported.

The Australian Conservation Foundation and Friends of Australian Rock Art are running concurrent legal challenges against the government's decision to approve an extension of Woodside's North West Shelf gas export project in Western Australia. The Albanese government signed off on the extension, a decision the groups argue should be overturned.

The litigation sets up a significant test of Australia's environmental protections at a time when governments worldwide face pressure to reconcile fossil fuel development with climate commitments. Friends of Australian Rock Art has raised concerns tied to the preservation of ancient rock art in the project's vicinity, while the Australian Conservation Foundation is focused on the broader climate implications of extending a major gas export facility.

The case adds to a string of legal battles in Australia and elsewhere over whether environmental regulators are adequately weighing climate impacts when approving large fossil fuel projects. A ruling against the government could force regulators to reconsider how such approvals account for greenhouse gas emissions going forward.

— Compiled from reporting by the Guardian.