WWF launched a global electronic petition from its Switzerland headquarters on Friday, which will target the Gorgon consortium – Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil – urging them to locate the gas plant on the Australian mainland rather than on environmentally sensitive Barrow Island.

The Chevron-led consortium aims to build a $15 billion liquefied natural gas plant and undertake an $850 million carbon capture and storage project on the island.

WWF-Australia director of conservation Dr Ray Nias said Barrow Island was a nature reserve of global importance and its protection deserved a global response.

"Barrow Island is a sanctuary for wildlife that has nowhere else to go," he said.

"At a time when so much of the Earth's wildlife is under intense pressure from habitat loss, invasive species and climate change, we simply cannot stand by and watch Barrow Island threatened by development that could just as well be situated on the mainland."

The online petition is addressed to the Gorgon project, Australian Environment Minister Ian Campbell, and his Western Australian counterpart, Tony McRae.

Nias said Barrow Island was well known for its marsupials, some of which were extinct or near extinct on the mainland.

"It also has very important nesting grounds for the threatened flatback turtle, and is surrounded by tropical coral reefs earmarked for a marine park," he said.

"Leading scientists warn that this project presents major threats to Barrow's wildlife. We believe we have a duty to protect Barrow Island Nature Reserve and we hope people across the world will spend a few minutes learning about this remarkable place and signing the petition."

To access the petition visit www.passport.panda.org