InfluenceMap statement in response to reports by Unearthed and BBC News that the Australian government lobbied the IPCC to remove a reference to the role of fossil fuel lobbyists in shaping climate policy in Australia and the US.
“These reports shed new light on the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists when it comes to climate policy in Australia,” InfluenceMap Program Manager Faye Holder said.
“Not only does the sector actively work to block or weaken climate action, but it appears to have convinced the Australian government to help them get away with it.
“There is ample evidence that the fossil fuel sector has undermined climate action in Australia through its lobbying and public campaigns over many years. To suggest otherwise is to ignore reality.”
InfluenceMap last month launched an Australia-specific platform, which tracks the climate lobbying of the most significant companies and trade groups operating in the country.
It demonstrates there is a significant imbalance between the fossil fuel sector - which is highly engaged on climate policy - and pro-climate corporate voices which are relatively disengaged.
Note to media:
Relevant section of the Unearthed report:
Elsewhere, Australia asks the IPCC to delete analysis explaining how lobbying by fossil fuel companies has weakened action on climate change in Australia and the US: “One factor limiting the ambition of climate policy has been the ability of incumbent industries to shape government action on climate change (Newell and Paterson 1998; Breetz et al. 2018; Jones and Levy 2009; Geels 2014). Campaigns by oil and coal companies against climate action in the US and Australia are perhaps the most well-known and largely successful of these (Brulle et al. 2020; Stokes 2020; Mildenberger 2020)”.
Despite the large number of academic references the IPCC draws upon in making the statement, the Australian government official requests “deleting this political viewpoint made to seem factual”.
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Simon Cullen, Communications Manager, InfluenceMap (London)
E: simon.cullen ( @ ) influencemap.org
