Western Annihilation – Alcoa & the Northern Jarrah Forest

Today’s discussion is about Alcoa’s proposed expansion of bauxite mining in WA’s jarrah forests, which has raised major concerns in the community. The expansion would lock in decades of additional carbon emissions through land clearing, transport, and alumina refining – flying in the face of both climate targets and public expectations for lowering emissions. Also, independent studies have revealed multiple high-risk pathways for contamination of Perth’s drinking water, emissions and water, the project threatens critical habitats for endangered Baudin's black-cockatoos, numbats, and a range of other native species...and it will decimate one of the world’s oldest Biodiversity Hotspots.   

I interviewed Peter Milne, the founder and editor of Boiling Cold, an independent news platform covering energy, climate, and industry in Western Australia. With a background in engineering and two decades in the oil and gas sector, Peter brings a huge amount of lived experience into his investigative reporting, earning multiple media awards for exposing stories that affect both the environment and the community. See: boilingcold and alcoa-investigation. 

For ethical investors, this is a classic case study. On paper, companies like Alcoa can sometimes score strongly on ESG metrics, yet in this case researcher Ethos-ESG currently gives them an ‘F’ Report card - the lowest rating. It highlights the range of negative impacts involved in their operations, including devastating impacts on biodiversity, community health and climate resilience. Investors who want their capital to align with sustainability principles would be worried about the risks to ecosystems and our society…but in addition, after hearing from Peter about the financial risks involved, any investor would be concerned. 

We would encourage all investors to ask their super fund or investment manager whether they invest in Alcoa. Our website lists ‘Investor Questions to Ask Alcoa’ because we don’t just want to raise awareness – we want to equip you to take action. These questions are designed to help investors hold companies like Alcoa accountable, cut through the PR, and get real answers. Whether you’re a default ‘Balanced fund’ investor or are concerned about the impacts of mining on WA’s forests, these questions highlight the issues that matter and show how your financial decisions can drive change.

Bauxite mining firms like Alcoa and South32 have already stripped away tens of thousands of hectares of jarrah forest over the past six decades; this new expansion threatens even more—carbon stores, air quality, world-class trails, biodiversity and habitat for threatened wildlife all hang in the balance

Alcoa’s vision is to “build a legacy of excellence for future generations.” Yet the reality of this expansion paints the opposite picture: a legacy of cleared forests, polluted water, displaced wildlife, and worsening climate impacts. As the research makes clear, these jarrah forests are irreplaceable. To leave behind stripped landscapes, dwindling biodiversity, and unsafe drinking water is not a gift to future generations—it is a burden they will have to carry long after the profits have been extracted.

We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we recorded on, the Wardandi Noongar people. We pay our respects to them and their culture; and to elders past, present and emerging. 

For more information about JustInvest & EIA: justinvest and ethicalinvestment

PS Thanks to Sabrina Hahn for the term 'Western Annihilation'!