Woodside Energy - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Woodside Energy is Medium Risk.

Woodside Energy is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	High Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Medium Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Woodside Energy integrates ESG into its business practices. From its Sustainability page: “Executive remuneration is an important tool to reward management performance in line with company priorities, including sustainability. ….Climate metrics make up 15% of the total scorecard, and are based on gross Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions performance and on new energy project progress.” (1). Otherwise, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Woodside Energy will not fund “Religious activities” (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Woodside Energy appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment and promotions. From its Culture and Inclusion Policy: “Woodside seeks to achieve the objectives of this strategy by: Actively monitoring recruitment, promotions, training and turnover statistics for fair representation, including monitoring for gender globally and cultural/racial diversity where locally appropriate.” (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its 2025 annual report: “Some of the 2025 key activities undertaken by the Committee include: Reviewing the size and composition of the Board to enable an appropriate mix of skills, competencies, experience, expertise and diversity to be maintained” (2). Woodside Energy appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender targets for its leadership composition. The company is seeking “…Board gender equality of 40% male/40% female/20% either gender” (3). The company offered”LGBTIQA+ awareness training and targeted leader LGBTIQA+ training in 2025.” (4). Woodside Energy also offered “Racial Equity” training to its leaders (5). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (6)(7)(8).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Woodside Energy supports ESG within its business practices, “As part of our materiality process described, the following environment, social and governance topics were considered to be most relevant to our business activities and stakeholders in 2025.” (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices, “Woodside recognises that a talented and diverse workforce is a key competitive advantage.” (2). “Our approach to creating a One Team culture, driving a more inclusive and diverse workplace, is focused and intentional and we have a strong understanding of our core capabilities and strengths.” (3). “In 2026, Woodside will launch its new Culture and Inclusion strategy which focuses on progressing our One Team culture and inclusive leadership globally.” (4). Woodside Eenrgy aspires to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 (5). The company advocates for abortion in light of Roe v. Wade being overturned, “Australian company Woodside Energy, which is expanding its presence in North America through a merger deal with BHP, said it was considering the impact of the Supreme Court decision on its employees and its priority was to provide support and flexibility to ensure their health and wellbeing.” (6). Woodside Energy pledged to invest $17.5 billion into the LNG Facility in Southwest Louisiana (7)(8).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Woodside Energy through a merger with BHP provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel costs for an abortion (1). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Woodside Energy does not operate a PAC at this time and has not used its lobbying for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).