Woodside appears to have rejected a report that it commissioned from CSIRO. 

Woodside insists that its gas projects will help reduce global emissions, but when it asked CSIRO to look into the matter, the subsequent report found that gas projects would only help in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy using carbon prices to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions.

The experts found that gas is only good as a transition fuel if there is a high-enough carbon price to make up for the ongoing emissions.

“Gas can assist [greenhouse gas] mitigation during the period when carbon prices or equivalent signals are strong enough to force high renewable electricity generation shares,” the report says.

“Until the carbon price reaches that level their impact on emissions reduction is either negative or neutral. After renewables have reached a high share, additional gas supply has nothing further to contribute to emissions reduction.”

Woodside has been accused of trying to bury its own report, as it was only uncovered through a freedom of information request. 

The revelation has led some to question why such reports are commissioned when those that pay for them can so summarily reject the findings.