A former chief economist at BHP, Dr Huw McKay, says governments need stronger climate policies like a carbon price to force mining companies to cut emissions faster. He argues that voluntary corporate commitments are unstable and that a carbon price would change investment decisions at major resource firms. The comments follow leaked documents showing BHP delayed renewable projects in the Pilbara and pushed electrification of its diesel truck fleet into the next two decades. The article also covers the Australian government's safeguard mechanism, which requires large industrial sites to cut emissions intensity each year. Climate Minister Chris Bowen defended the policy and ruled out a carbon tax. But critics say the current approach relies too much on carbon offsets and lacks the teeth to drive real decarbonisation in hard to abate sectors like mining. The story is worth reading for anyone tracking how policy design affects actual emissions outcomes in heavy industry.
