Home > GHD staff want company out of coal expansions

GHD staff want company out of coal expansions

1 November 2019

1 November 2019

A survey of engineering firm GHD employees shows that three out of five staff members want the company to end its work on coal expansions such as the Adani Carmichael project.

The survey, which has been distributed over a number of months via LinkedIn and leafletting outside GHD offices, is a warning to GHD management that they are dangerously out of touch with staff sentiment.

The survey consists of three questions. These are the results so far:

1. Considering the urgent need to limit global warming and GHD’s corporate social responsibility commitments, should GHD refuse to work on projects that expand the thermal coal sector?

  • Yes – 62%
  • No – 38%

2. Do you think GHD is risking its sustainability and ethical business credentials by working with Adani on the Carmichael coal project, which will open up one of the largest untapped thermal coal basins in the world?

  • Yes – 70%
  • No – 30%

3. Would you personally feel comfortable working on the Adani Carmichael coal project?

  • Yes – 33%
  • No – 67%

The survey also collected a number of passionate comments from GHD staff:

“I think it is disgraceful that we have had our partnership with Engineers Without Borders ended over this also. The upper management have told us little or nothing about this”

I previously didn’t know about the Adani controversy. Having found out about it and the company’s involvement quite frankly I’m ashamed, embarrassed and extremely disappointed, not least for the fact that the company are being so stubborn in listening to the public and its staff. I’m amazed also at the hypocrisy of the board representatives attempting to tell us that compromising our integrity by being seen to succumb to public pressures is not an option, when it’s clear that any shred of integrity the company had regarding its sustainability policies has gone down the proverbial. I hope those with the power to end this realise that they are directly contributing to the climate crisis and are guilty in playing a part in sentencing our race to its inevitable doom. GHD, put your planet’s future ahead of your greedy, selfish desires, for f*ck’s sake.

“I am so grateful for the protests and your campaign. Please keep going.”

“Save the planet, we should be working on environmentally sound energy projects!”

“Money raised from the Adani Carmichael Mine is blood money… the mortality rate in India resulting from this mine will run into many thousands, the pollution and impact in Australia will be horrendous. Shame on GHD for being on the wrong side of history.”

“This project is a blight on GHD. It contravenes GHD’s sustainability policy and core value of integrity. It makes me ashamed to work for GHD.”

“I am currently seeking employment elsewhere as a direct result of GHD’s continued involvement with Adani.”

“We are not creating lasting community benefit when we work on this project”

“Obviously these projects offer a large amount of financial opportunity for GHD. But I think maintaining GHDs integrity, one of the 4 pillars our company works under is more important and protects us from public and client criticisms of our devotion to a clean and safe future for the engineering sector.”

GHD staff comments on GHD’s work for the Adani Carmichael coal project.

This survey comes at a time when the entire engineering profession is rethinking its relationship with the climate-wrecking coal, oil and gas sectors. The “Australian Engineers Declare Climate and Biodiversity Emergency” initiative is gaining growing support, and it encourages engineers to avoid projects that will fuel the said emergency.

As a consultancy, GHD’s greatest asset is its highly skilled staff. It ignores their wishes at its peril.

Take Action: Contact all the companies currently working with Adani by filling out the form below: