Priority Areas of Work in Australia
01 —
Revenue Transparency
PWYP was founded to campaign for oil, gas and mining companies to publish their payments to governments (such as licence fees, royalties and taxes), and for governments to be transparent about the revenues they receive.
What We Do
We campaign, advocate and engage with industry groups to call on the Australia Government to sign up to Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative – the global gold standard of natural resource governance. We also advocate for the Australian Government to make laws so that companies on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) publish their payments to local and global governments (mandatory disclosure) on a country-by-country, project-by-project level where they extract oil, gas and minerals.
This includes our landmark 2017 report: Abundant Resources, Absent Data
With greater transparency, people can scrutinise transactions, question suspicious payments and judge whether tax regimes and extraction projects benefit communities where Australian companies operate.
You can read our Strategic Action Plan 2020 to 2022 here: PWYP Australia Action Plan 2020
02 —
Anti Corruption
Oil, gas and mining companies should act with integrity and honesty so that we all benefit from the extraction of our natural resources. Corruption from some powerful companies and governments means less money for schools, hospitals and to respond to climate related disasters.
What We Do
The oil, gas and mining sectors are known as the world’s most corrupt economic sectors. Powerful companies not paying tax, handing over bribes and hiding profits in tax havens means less money for schools, hospitals and services required to respond to climate related disasters.
We work with our members, networks and investigative journalists to shine a light on corruption so that citizens get a fairer deal from the benefit of their natural resources, we can uncover conflicts of interest, and hidden ownership structures. Our advocacy for Australia to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), asking companies to publish what they pay, and tracking where the money goes is a part of tackling corruption.
03 —
Energy Transition
We all want to live in a world with clean air, decent work and share in the benefits from our natural resources. Yet the extraction of fossil fuels is driving global heating and contributing to extreme weather events like bushfires and storms.
What We Do
The expansion of clean renewable energy is reducing the demand for fossil fuels. This means that large reserves of oil, gas and coal could become “stranded assets” that cannot be burned and therefore cannot be extracted. Large fossil fuel projects could increasingly become uneconomic to operate, leading to dwindling government revenues and development benefits in fossil fuel-rich countries.
To fulfil our mission to make natural resources benefit all citizens, PWYP is addressing new issues – such as calling for disclosure by companies of their climate-related financial risks, stopping tax payer funds going to new fossil fuel projects and the advocating for financial modelling to help inform decisions over whether fossil fuel extraction should take place in our region.
04
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Environmental & Social Impact
How much water is a mining project consuming? Have people lost their land? Has a company paid the correct fees for environmental mitigation plans? Do people have access to contracts so they can monitor project? Understanding the effects of extraction goes far beyond financial flows.
What We Do
People need the right information on the human rights, environment and social impacts so they can make informed decisions about projects in their area and hold companies and governments accountable.
PWYP’s research and advocacy with our partners in countries like PNG, South Africa, Myanmar and Indonesia highlights the importance of the social and environmental effects of extraction, calling for full information on these impacts to be made publicly available for all extractive projects.
05
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Advancing Women's Rights
Women suffer disproportionately from the social and environmental effects of extraction and are often excluded from decision making processes.
What We Do
Women across the world are commonly excluded from consultations, while lack of access to information or security of tenure make them vulnerable to eviction or loss of livelihoods. Seemingly distant decisions such as government tax breaks to attract investment can undermine services most used by women, such as healthcare, sanitation and water supplies.
PWYP Australia works with members ActionAid and Oxfam work to ensure women’s voices are heard, and that they benefit equally from extraction. We campaign for women’s inclusion in decision making, from community to international levels, including through the EITI process, and for women to benefit from extraction equally to men. Through capacity-building and campaigning, we support countless women activists fighting for transparency to improve the lives of their families and communities.
06
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Connecting Our Members & Movements
With more than 700 members in over 50 countries, PWYP’s strength comes from our ability to coordinate action nationally and globally. We share our diverse experiences and work together across borders to maximise our collective impact.
What We Do
We connect our 30 members in Australia and PWYP coalitions in our region to work together effectively over issues that span multiple countries – such as tax evasion, corruption or the human rights impacts of extractive projects. Australian companies are operating in over 100 countries around the world. Right now, we’re working with partners in Myanmar, PNG and Indonesia in advocacy with Australian companies.
Join us.
If you are interested in joining our movement or funding us, please get in touch.
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