Oil and gas industry spends millions to obstruct climate change policy

Australia's peak oil and gas industry lobby group spent almost $4 million last year trying to "obstruct" more ambitious climate change policy, according to British research group InfluenceMap.

It was part of an overall $150 million spent globally in 2015 by five major oil companies and lobby groups.

The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) represents the domestic oil and gas industry and counts among its 70 members giant companies such as Woodside, Shell Australia, and Chevron Australia.

According to the analysis, InfluenceMap estimated that APPEA spent about $5.5 million on climate-related advocacy in 2015 though expenditure on staff, public campaigns, advertising and other external public relations.

Read Tom Arup’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Australian oil and gas lobby spent millions advocating against climate action: report.”

(The Shepparton-based group Slap Tomorrow has worked enthusiastically for more than three years no to raise among Goulburn Valley the profile of, and interest in, climate change and has had some support from local businesses, private and public donations, and unending hard work from a small band of volunteers.

Slap Tomorrow has organized several forums at which many aspects climate change were addressed and while the many speakers have been generous in the provision of their time and undoubted skills, the total spend has probably not exceeded $30,000 dollars – an amount that is of little consequence compared to the millions of dollars the fossil fuel corporations are prepared, and able to spend to convince the public that all is well and that climate change is little more than a leftist conspiracy – Robert McLean.)