Light shone on ‘deceptive’ anti-renewables campaigns
Pursuing corporate interests behind third parties during election campaigns has been recommended by a federal investigation to stamp out the sport of astroturf.
MPs have been told that the practice of astroturfing, which means posing as grassroots organizations despite their ties to political parties or lobby groups, is common in the 2025 federal poll.
The Australian government should also formally endorse the Information Integrity Declaration on Climate Change launched at COP30 in Brazil, as recommended by a majority of Greens, Labor, Liberals and independent senators.
The investigation, led by Greens senator Peter Whish Wilson, found communities were being exposed to coordinated anti-renewable energy messaging.
“Deliberate and deceptive campaigns that undermine the integrity of knowledge around climate change and energy or manipulate public discourse to obstruct policy have stalled climate action, including the rollout of renewable energy in Australia,” he said.
The hearings gathered evidence of false and misleading claims about clean energy and climate change spread by think tanks, public relations firms, bloggers, media companies and third-party fronts supporting fossil fuel interests.
Social media algorithms that reward outrage to increase revenue and generative AI that simplifies the creation of fake images and automated bot accounts have been identified as enablers.
The committee recommended that digital platforms should have responsibility for addressing and monitoring “psychosocial harms.”
Establishing an “internet observatory” to monitor the hidden impact of digital ecosystems will further help increase online transparency.
Three senators, including Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, submitted dissenting reports.
The National Party leader said the investigation was being used as an “attempt to bully and deceive people into silence”, including local communities opposed to large-scale renewable energy development in rural areas.
Labor senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, deputy chair of the inquiry, said a tried and tested playbook had been imported into Australia from abroad.
“Amidst a global oil shock, concerted efforts to undermine renewables are eroding our energy resilience while pitting neighbor against neighbor in regional communities,” he said.
Christian Downie, a political scientist at the Australian National University, said climate denial still exists, but it has largely been replaced by delaying strategies.
Renewable energy sources are a frequent target of false claims, such as the widely debunked narrative that offshore wind turbines are causing whale deaths.
89 Degrees East social researcher Rebecca Huntley told the hearing that alarming, fiery social media posts could have a chilling effect on the public, who are more likely to feel “confused” and “powerless” than angry about the energy transition.
The Australian Security Leaders Climate Group is calling for tougher action on tech giants to combat the “climate disinformation war” that threatens corporate trust, economic resilience and national security.
The group, led by former Australian Defense Force chief Admiral Chris Barrie, wants social media companies to be held accountable for disinformation on their platforms.
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