Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder of the software group Atlassian, has committed 1.5 billion Australian dollars ($1.05 billion) to climate projects. (Source photos by Getty Images)

Software billionaire takes on Australia's biggest carbon emitter

Mike Cannon-Brookes uses election-style tactics in bid to halt AGL's coal power demerger

JJ ROSE, Contributing writer

May 20, 2022 06:03 JST

SUNSHINE COAST, Australia -- On a recent Saturday morning, Australians woke up to a full-page open letter in national newspapers suggesting they "vote against the demerger."

Though aimed narrowly at the 148,000 shareholders of energy company AGL, which plans to split itself in two, the ad had the trappings of a party political missive, right in the middle of the national election campaign. The battle for the future of Australia's biggest owner of coal-fired power plants has landed on kitchen tables across the country. And, it seems, so have the climate change issues it is being fought over.