The world's biggest miner, BHP, has halted or delayed projects intended to cut vast amounts of emissions and has quietly war-gamed options to push major climate investments in its Western Australian iron ore operations into the next two decades, according to internal documents.
An exclusive investigation based on documents leaked to the Guardian and the ABC's Four Corners reveals that BHP, one of Australia's largest historic emitters, has abandoned plans for a facility that could have significantly reduced emissions. The company has also put on hold renewable projects designed to power its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region.
Key Findings from the BHP Files
The cache of leaked internal records, dubbed the BHP files, shows that the company was aware that delayed climate action in the Pilbara would pose a reputational risk. It also noted that urgent decarbonisation in line with BHP's public commitments effectively underpinned its licence to operate.
Despite these warnings, BHP announced a slowdown of its decarbonisation programme last year, slashing spending and postponing meaningful investment until the 2030s at the earliest. This decision came despite overwhelming shareholder support for urgent climate action and board approval of a key solar project.
Specific Projects Affected
- A 50-megawatt solar farm and 20MW battery at the Jimblebar mine, which had been approved and funded by the board in mid-2023, was effectively shelved. This move prompted internal criticism from staff, some of whom questioned the unilateral decision to close a board-approved project.
- A large system of almost 500MW of solar, wind, and battery storage, capable of powering a small city, has been significantly delayed. Documents show it will not progress in its current form and has no capital funding until 2031 at the earliest, despite an initial plan for first power delivery by December 2027.
- BHP quietly abandoned an iron ore processing plant that could have prevented 1.7 million tonnes of emissions annually, equivalent to taking more than 350,000 cars off the road. This was despite describing it as well-aligned with its climate transition action plan, which shareholders overwhelmingly supported.
- The company initially planned to replace its fleet of diesel trucks with electric ones beginning in 2027-28, but documents show it has continued to acquire polluting diesel haulage trucks for long-term use, including a purchase of more than $500 million for new diesel trucks at Jimblebar.
Company Response
BHP says it remains focused on its emissions reduction goals and has reduced emissions by 36% on 2020 levels, pointing to analysis suggesting it is one of the best climate performers among large publicly listed companies. A spokesperson stated, "Despite this progress, many of the technologies the resources industry will need to achieve net zero are not yet ready to be deployed."
Concerns from Experts
Experts and environmental groups have voiced concerns that BHP's failure to urgently decarbonise could put national climate targets at risk. Tim Buckley of the thinktank Climate Energy Finance said, "BHP is fundamentally putting Australia's emissions targets at risk. It's the single biggest company in Australia, and its annual report shows its emissions going up between fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2030. It isn't showing leadership and it is refusing to act on its own policy."
Naomi Hogan of the Australian Centre for Corporate Responsibility noted that big miners can shape the energy transition through their scale and purchasing power, but said, "Remaining hooked on expenditure for diesel trucks and pointing to technology delays demonstrates BHP and Rio Tinto are taking a back seat on decarbonisation."
Internal Memo Reveals Delays
A memo dated May 2025 shows BHP no longer considered its current decarbonisation plan achievable, claiming it had a low probability of success and blaming slow technological advancement by truck manufacturers. The document states, "The urgency to source renewables generation and storage services by 2030 has diminished." It contemplates major delays, including options to delay electrifying truck and rail fleets until 2035 or 2040, or taking no action at all.
The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia said the shift to electrified haulage is incredibly complex and requires a whole-of-sector effort. Its chief executive, Aaron Morey, noted, "There is currently no mining operation anywhere in the world with the scale, complexity and operating conditions of the Pilbara running a fully electrified haulage fleet, because the technology to do so simply does not exist."
