Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Sutherland said the partnership also included annual discussions between Woodside, players and staff about the energy transition.Loading“These discussions are an example of how this partnership goes far beyond a logo on a jumper,” he said.Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill said both parties were great WA-based organisations that strived for excellence, focused on sustainability, cared for their team-mates and contributed to the community.“Our partnership enables the club to deliver impactful programs such as the Next Generation Academy and the Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan, which support education, inclusion, and community development across Western Australia, especially in regional and remote areas,” she said.WA Greens candidate and Dockers member Sophie McNeill has led the charge against the sponsorship and has met with Fremantle chief executive Simon Garlick and Sutherland – before he became president – alongside renowned climate scientist Bill Hare to press their case.McNeill said the new deal was shameful, though not surprising, and the club would continue to suffer the reputational risk of being partnered with a “toxic company that’s increasingly losing its social licence to operate”.“I pity the players who will be forced to continue to play each week with the name of Australia’s largest climate criminal plastered on their backs,” she said.McNeill said the club’s decision to extend the sponsorship deal would not be easily forgotten by members, particularly younger ones, who cared deeply about climate change.Conservation Council of WA’s fossil fuel programs manager Anna Chapman said the Dockers had locked in a dangerous reputational risk by extending the partnership.“Woodside plan to process gas for export to 2070, which would make the Burrup Hub the most polluting [project] in the Southern Hemisphere,” she said.“Only a few weeks ago, scores of Dockers fans protested the current partnership with Woodside outside the annual members meeting.“At a time when public pressure for meaningful climate action is intensifying, this partnership sends the wrong message, especially to the thousands of fans who care deeply about protecting our environment.”Chapman also took aim at the new Pilbara school program, noting climate change “driven by companies like Woodside, will make regions like the Pilbara increasingly uninhabitable”.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
