BHP files leak, miner pauses key climate projects
financeMay 25, 20261263
Leaked internal documents obtained by The Guardian and ABC's Four Corners show BHP halted or delayed major emissions-cut projects and war-gamed options to scale back climate investments in its Western Australian iron ore operations. The cache details executive scenarios to push major decarbonisation spending into the 2030s and 2040s, effectively putting planned projects aimed at slashing emissions "on ICE" while prioritising production and capital discipline. That matters because BHP is the world’s biggest miner, and deferring those investments could postpone large emissions reductions, weaken its net-zero credibility, and influence whether the mining sector cuts emissions now or decades later.
