Around 500 protestors gathered on the steps of the Western Australian state parliament this morning, before marching down St Georges Terrace past the headquarters of Woodside Petroleum and Chevron Corporation, blocking approaching traffic.
Members of Extinction Rebellion were present in the crowd, however they appeared to be more subdued compared to previous protests.
CFMEU digital organiser Simon Stokes told the crowd that he supported transitioning industry workers from the old economy to the new.
"It's the same people who resisted action on climate change, who are going to resist and fear the transition," he said.
He told Energy News he was attending on behalf of the union to support those in the crowd supporting the "common good".
"The union movement are here...to show support for the initiative taken and the notion of collective action for the common good," Stokes said.
Nationals Green Senator Jordan Steele-John told Energy News Western Australia's climate policy was "a mess".
"We have a Labor government that is not willing to find the courage that is needed to take action because they take thousands of dollars of donations from the resources industry," he said.
The Greens are calling for a national emissions reduction target of 72% by 2030.
Students march past Woodside Petroleum's headquarters in Perth. ENB/Mark Tilly
As with previous protests, there were many references to what the protestors view as broader inaction by the federal government, as well as specific references to Woodside Petroleum's projects - including Scarborough and the North West Shelf.
Woodside is determined to reach a final investment decision on Scarborough by the end of the year. The project involves developing the Scarborough gas field in north west WA which will go to an expanded two-train Pluto LNG facility.
School Strike for Climate was started by Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg in 2018 and has now spread into a global movement, demanding political leaders prevent climate change and for the fossil fuel industry to transition to renewable energy.
Physical protests in Australia were held in other major cities including Adelaide and Brisbane, larger ones usually held in Sydney and Melbourne were held virtually as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.
