Adani’s rebirth as ‘Bravus’ won’t wipe slate clean say campaigners

Adani Australia has decided it is time for a name change to celebrate their tenth year endeavouring to build the largest coal mine in Australia. Their new name is Bravus Mining & Resources.

Bravus Mining & Resources, CEO Mr David Boshoff, said now that construction of the Carmichael Project was well underway, it was the ideal time to give Adani’s mining business its own Australian brand.

♦ What does Bravus mean in Latin? The Guardian has disputed Mr Boshoff’s definition.

Adani a toxic brand

However, Stop Adani campaigners say that Australians, banks, and investors won’t be fooled by the name change.

‘Adani is at pains to stress it is not rebranding due to the Stop Adani campaign or because the brand is now globally toxic. This is despite the fact over 85 insurers, contractors and financiers have ruled out working with Adani on the destructive Carmichael coal project,’ said a Stop Adani spokesperson in a press release this morning.

Moving away from coal

Mr Boshoff said Bravus’ high quality coal would be part of the solution as the global energy mix transitioned to a low emissions future.

‘We have already secured the market for the 10 million tonnes per annum of coal produced at the Carmichael Mine, which is focused on India and Asia,’ he said.

‘India is one of the largest populations in the world and it is growing rapidly. Right now more than 200 million people in India do not have adequate access to electricity and thermal coal imports will continue to rise in order to meet the demand of this growing population with economic ambition.’

However, the recent announcement by ANZ Bank to apply a ‘net zero emissions’ test for loans and an exit date of 2030 ‘for all “direct” investment in thermal coal mines and power stations’ doesn’t support Adani’s optimism for coal to be considered as part of the ‘energy mix’ as the world transitions ‘to a low emissions future’.

New name won’t cut it

‘This latest marketing tactic by Adani shows just how removed from reality this company is. You can’t hide the truth behind a name invented by PR consultants,’ said Australian Conservation Foundation campaigner Christian Slattery in response to the announcement

‘Adani knows its brand is toxic – which is why insurers, financiers and other contractors continue to abandon it. Whatever the company is called, it will forever be known for fuelling climate change, bulldozing threatened species habitat, draining precious groundwater and ignoring the rights of First Nations people.’

Mackay Conservation Group Coordinator Peter McCallum said, ‘People won’t be fooled by Adani’s attempt to hide behind a new name. Adani wants to arise like a phoenix from the ashes of its damaged corporate image, but that bird won’t fly. They can’t scrub away Adani’s track record of breaking Queensland laws, endangering the Reef, destroying Black Throated Finch habitat, and intimidating the community. Dirt like that sticks.

‘The Adani Group is still pushing to build the largest coal mine in Australia, so regardless of what they’re called, Adani’s Bravus will continue to burn us by turbo-charging dangerous global warming and driving worse bushfires in Australian communities. We won’t give up the fight to hold Adani to account for this.’