Credit: Travis Leery via Unsplash
Australia’s fossil fuel sector is pouring money into lobbying, PR and media contracts, with a quarter of all federal lobbyists now working for oil, gas or coal interests, according to activist groups Comms Declare and Clean Creatives.
The F-List 2025 reveals 156 fossil fuel contracts across advertising, public relations and lobbying in 2024–25, including 102 lobbying deals, 57 of which are registered to operate in Federal Parliament.
That translates to up to 105 lobbyists acting for fossil fuel clients in Canberra alone, nearly a quarter of the 468 currently on the federal register.
“This is democracy for hire,” said Belinda Noble, founder of Comms Declare. “Fossil fuel lobbyists outnumber voices for the planet, while agencies and media help spin delay instead of action.”
The report points the finger at holding companies, lobbying firms and media outlets helping to shape public and political narratives around fossil fuels.
Omnicom led the pack with 17 contracts, including 10 with GRACosway, which topped the agency list for the third consecutive year.
Media giant News Corp was named in four contracts, the most of any media company, while SBS made the list for the first time.
AGL and Alinta held six contracts each, the most of any brands, with Woodside, Jemena and Kleenheat also named.
“Coal, oil and gas are paying agencies to polish their image, not to cut their emissions,” Noble said.
“These contracts reveal an industry addicted to spin for hire.”
The report also spotlights Japanese energy giant JERA, which lobbied against pollution restrictions while sourcing gas from Woodside’s North West Shelf.
JERA hired four federal lobbying firms and an additional firm in Western Australia.
Meanwhile, the report says IPG Mediabrands, which holds federal government ad contracts, simultaneously worked for AGL, Jemena and Kleenheat.
Woodside was represented by WPP’s Hawker Britton and The Brand Agency.
On the media front, the F-list alleges News Corp ran a week-long series of gas-friendly stories, including front-page spreads sponsored by Santos, Jemena, APA and Tamboran Resources.
It also highlights fossil fuel work by SBS’s CulturalConnect and Identity Communications, which produced TV and social content for AGL, Australia’s largest emitter.
“This report shows we have agencies claiming climate credentials and working for brands pushing for climate action, while still cashing cheques from fossil fuels,” Noble said.
“It’s taking from both sides of the fence. Businesses and brands pushing for climate action should be demanding greater transparency and working with agencies without fossil fuel exposure.”
Duncan Meisel, executive director of Clean Creatives, said the trend in Australia mirrors global findings.
“The 2025 F-List shows that the fossil fuel industry has doubled down on spin rather than trying to address the urgent issues of the climate emergency,” Meisel said.
“Coal, oil, and gas companies have abandoned any pretence of being climate-friendly actors, and are now trying to browbeat the public and decision-makers into accepting a future of higher energy prices, and more extreme weather.
“The ad and PR agencies assisting with this influence operation are putting their reputation and their employees’ futures at risk.
“We have the receipts that show how they’ve been a part of endangering the planet and their industry.”
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