57,000 Germans want Siemens to quit Adani mine over climate   

Sydney Morning Herald
Updated January 11, 2020



Munich: Climate activists have protested outside Siemens offices across Germany demanding that the conglomerate end its participation in the controversial Adani mining project in Australia, where raging bushfires have been met with calls to tackle climate change.

The demonstrations, organised by the German branch of the Fridays for Future environmental youth movement, took place in several German cities, including Munich, where the firm is headquartered.

Protesters said they handed over a petition signed by 57,000 people during the hundreds-strong Munich demonstration on Friday, German time.


Siemens chief executive Joe Kaeser also met Luisa Neubauer, the 23-year-old activist who has become the face of the German movement. A company spokesman said she had been invited to discuss the issue with him.


The protests centre on controversial plans by Indian industrial group Adani to build one of the world's largest coal mines in central Queensland, with Siemens contracted to provide a rail signalling system for the project.

The company has come under pressure as a partner in the project and as a result Mr Kaeser agreed in December to reassess the contract, which is said to be worth about €20 million ($32 million).

A decision could be made any day now, according to company sources.
Fridays for Future protesters march through Munich's centre after a protest outside the headquarters of German engineering conglomerate Siemens which has a contract to provide systems to the Adani mine in Queensland.

Fridays for Future protesters march through Munich's centre after a protest outside the headquarters of German engineering conglomerate Siemens which has a contract to provide systems to the Adani mine in Queensland.Credit:Getty Images

"We take the issue very seriously and are taking the time necessary to hear and discuss different perspectives," a Siemens spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for Adani in Australia said they were "pleased to be working with Siemens as the company is known for its exceptional experience in building rail signalling infrastructure around the world”.

“After a comprehensive competitive process, we have contacted Siemens because of their extensive experience providing signalling systems that will ensure the safety of train drivers and workers who will operate our new rail network in central Queensland,” she said.

Australian climate activists have for years been voicing their opposition to the mine, which would yield up to 60 million tonnes of coal a year.
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Nick Heubeck, a Fridays for Future activist, was optimistic about the company's invitation to discuss the matter.

"We have built up so much pressure in Germany and Australia that we could imagine Siemens taking what we see as the sensible decision in light of a sum of €20 million," he said.

Australian conservation and climate action groups were also protesting on Friday in Sydney and Melbourne.

A "Stop Adani" campaign opposes Siemens' involvement, which it says is central to Adani's plans to access the Galilee coal basin, where there are currently no coal mines.

"The eyes of the world have been on Australia as climate change has fuelled the worst bushfire season we have ever experienced," said Christian Slattery, a senior campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation.

NSW Bushfires: Thousands protest in Sydney CBD   

Thousands of climate change protesters are gathered and ready to march in Sydney’s CBD.

lee wrote on Jan 12^th, 2020 at 10:54am:



It's really strange.
lee has completely ignored all Ajax's weather modification threads
Yet as soon as a thread appears that involves coal, lee just has to respond (even if the response is typically lame)
Well how about that 

lee wrote on Jan 12^th, 2020 at 4:14pm:


So lee is quite happy to accept human induced weather/climate change when coal isn't involved

I bet you got quite a hard on when ScoMo brought that lump of coal into parliament 

The_Barnacle wrote on Jan 12^th, 2020 at 4:19pm:



You must tell us how coal affects  weather petal.

And why do you keep ducking the questions?

Back in the day of 2003,
when we all knew that Rudd would be PM in 2007.
Politicians openly admitted that they got a 'power orgasm' from allowing things to go ahead that really ruffled Public Opinion.
In fact, that 'orgasm' was so intense and enjoyable to Politicians that they openly admitted on Radio in 2011 that they "Laugh at all the Protests" and officially ignore them.