Fossil Fuel Companies Secretly Sponsor Educational Programs for Australian Children

Fossil fuel companies are secretly sponsoring hundreds of educational programs targeting Australian children, often without parental consent or transparency, a comprehensive investigation has revealed.

These incursions, which have been happening in schools across the country, involve industry professionals volunteering their time to deliver lessons with a focus on "energy literacy" and career opportunities in the fossil fuel sector.

Schools Programmes Under Scrutiny

One such program, the Next Generation Energy Program, has been running since 1991 and is sponsored by major oil and gas companies including Woodside Energy and Exxon Mobil. Former teacher Alison Holt recalled the program disrupting her teaching schedule at Busselton Senior High School in Western Australia.

"I was told probably a day or two before because, you know, you've got to plan ahead very tightly being a science teacher," Ms Holt said.

"Without any consultation and any permission from the parents, we had three hours taken out of our very tight curriculum time. So that's nearly a week of science gone."

Ms Holt expressed concerns about the way the presentations framed the role of gas, with one presenter suggesting it was the answer to the transition to renewable energy.

"He spoke about … the different sectors where energy was needed, how it was provided, and then talked about how gas was the answer, you know, in the transition to renewable energy," she said.

Rebranding and Lack of Transparency

The not-for-profit behind the program, Energy Club WA, rebranded in 2021 to reflect its commitment to a "sustainable future". However, Ms Holt observed that the program's content seemed inconsistent with this message.

In a statement, Energy Club WA general manager Kate McCarthy said its educational program was reviewed by participating schools to ensure the content was appropriate.

"The classroom teacher is always present during the presentation, and the teacher and school are engaged for feedback on the program and its contents at each visit," she said.

Marketing to Children

A report by climate advocacy group Comms Declare identified at least 260 educational programs in Australia sponsored by fossil fuel companies. The investigation found that resources giants including BHP, Chevron, Woodside, Glencore and Shell had disclosed close to $55 million in funding across just six programs and partnerships.

"Our investigation found there is an unacceptable amount of marketing to children in the very places where they should be able to trust the information they're getting," Comms Declare founder Belinda Noble said.

"We would say when a company goes building trusted emotional connections with children in institutional environments, we think that can only be described as petro-grooming."