SYDNEY, Feb 17 (Reuters) – An Australian court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against gas producer Santos that alleged the company misled the public on its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
The lawsuit was launched in 2021 by the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, an activist shareholder, which said it was the first case of its kind in any country to challenge the veracity of a company’s net zero plan.
The case alleged Santos breached Australia’s corporations and consumer laws by engaging in misleading or deceptive behaviour by saying it had a clear pathway to reduce emissions by 26%-30% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040.
Federal Court of Australia Judge Brigitte Markovic dismissed the case, with her reasons to be published on February 23.
(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Sonali Paul and Stephen Coates)
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