UPDATE: In late September 2022 AGL announced it would bring forward the closure of its dirtiest coal power station - Loy Yang A in Victoria's Latrobe Valley - by 10 years! This is another positive step in the right direction and is thanks to the hard work of health workers and allies pressuring Australia's largest climate polluter.

May 2022: Today marks a huge watershed movement in the long-running campaign to shift Australia’s biggest climate polluter AGL to replace its coal-burning power stations with renewable energy by 2030 - a campaign that hundreds of healthcare workers, organisations and community members have played a critical role in and one in which you should feel proud.

Today five leading medical colleges have released an open letter to federal, state and territory governments and all energy companies to replace coal with renewable energy by 2030. The letter follows a call from the World Health Organization for all OECD countries to phase out coal by 2030 in light of the harms posed by air pollution and actions needed globally to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.

Dr Scott Abbinga is a committed volunteer with Healthy Futures. He also is an infectious disease registrar currently working at Monash Health in Melbourne and has recently treated a patient with Japanese Encephalitis. This experience highlighted Scott's concerns with the rise of infectious diseases due to climate change. 

Dr Charlotte Brack is one of the many concerned health workers and allies that are pledging to boycott AGL until it commits to transitioning to clean energy this decade. Find out Dr Brack's story and share your own.

Healthy Futures is working hard to pressure Australia's largest polluter, AGL, to switch to renewable energy. And it's not just us who understands AGL is making reckless choices. Environmental Group Greenpeace released its updated Green Electricity Guide in February 2022 and out of the 48 energy retailers reviewed, AGL ranked dead last.Whether you are an AGL customer or a potential future one, can you make a pledge with us to boycott AGL until it commits to replacing coal with renewable energy by 2030?

Pledge to Boycott AGL

If you do intend to switch your energy retailer away from AGL, your switch could be even more powerful if it's co-ordinated to happen at the same time as other AGL customers. Pledge to boycott AGL and we'll be in touch with more details.

So which energy retailers are ok?

Healthy Futures does not endorse any specific energy retailer. However we do know for certain that many retailers are truly committed to providing clean, renewable energy and some often support local communities in the process.

You can view the Green Electricity Guide to see the full ranking and make your own call on who will power your life here:

Last week Australia's biggest climate polluter AGL announced a new "climate statement" and it was truly atrocious. Despite AGL claiming it’s committed to helping fight climate change, it squandered this opportunity to make any meaningful impact. 

Healthcare workers stage die-in at AGL office to protest pollution

(Melbourne) January 31, 2022

Gippsland health professionals have travelled to Melbourne this morning to join a theatrical health protest outside AGL’s head office to call on the energy giant to reduce its harmful coal pollution, warning that the health impacts of climate change could dwarf the impacts of Covid-19.

Fairfax Media released an investigation over the weekend exposing a litany of failures at one of AGL’s coal-burning power stations [1]. The investigation was prompted by our Freedom of Information request which uncovered an internal report exposing risky conditions at AGL’s Bayswater power station in NSW. These conditions have been backed up by a whistleblower working at Bayswater who revealed parts of the power station were falling apart and management turned a blind eye to problems that could risk public health.

Australia falls short

Did you know that coal-burning power stations in Australia are allowed to emit more air pollution than those in China, the United States or Europe? Unlike in Australia, countries in those regions require most coal-burning power stations to install basic pollution controls that cut toxic pollutants by more than 85 percent. While we think we’re the lucky country, when it comes to air pollution regulation, Australian communities are underserved.

It has been a huge few weeks in our campaign to pressure Australia's largest polluter, AGL, to protect our health and our climate. The actions and support of healthcare professionals, students and community members like you are having an impact - thank you to all those who have been involved so far.