1. Sponsorship
Fossil fuel companies use sponsorship to improve their dirty image and achieve social licensing.
Step 1 – Identify fossil fuel companies
The following table (Box 1) provides a definition and a small sample of fossil fuel companies operating in Australia. It also highlights that not only are there companies that directly extract and process coal, oil, and gas, but there are also companies that generate the bulk of their revenue from fossil fuel extraction. These companies provide services to the extraction companies and rely on one another for their existence.
An example is APA Group, a significant gas pipeline operator that supports fracking in Australia’s Beetaloo Basin in opposition to the wishes of the country’s traditional owners, including the Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation.
A quick Google search will help you identify fossil fuel companies, including companies complicit in fossil fuel extraction.
(Source: How to remove fossil fuel sponsorships from sports, arts and events)
Step 2 – Review your organisation’s current sponsorship and check if any of them is a fossil fuel company
Try putting the puzzle together and find out more details about the company or organisation that is looking to fund you.
Occasionally, larger companies seek to diversify their income streams by entering the fossil fuel extraction market. An example is Wesfarmers, which owns Kleenheat’s gas production facilities. Wesfarmers uses a separate arts funding arm called “Wesfarmers Arts”. This links their name; however, it provides a separate funding body. Again, a simple Google search will assist in putting the puzzle together.
Step 3 – Use the Climate Council’s Decision-Making Framework in their Fossil Fuel Free Sponsorship Code to determine your steps in removing fossil fuel sponsorship from your organisation
Activity 1: Rapid Values and Impact Audit
Activity 2: Sponsor Fit Evaluation
Step 4 – Understand sponsorship in context with the Environmental,
Social and Governance (ESG) Framework
(Source: Council Decision-Making Framework in their Fossil Fuel Free Sponsorship Code)
Step 5 – Develop a fossil fuel-free sponsorship policy and/or statement
To develop your fossil fuel-free sponsorship policy, you can review the below templates and examples:
Position Statement Fossil Fuel advertising and sponsorship (Doctors for Environment Australia)
Note: Many organisations seek to adhere to “ethical” sponsorship. However, this often lacks the concrete avoidance of fossil fuel finance.
2. Fundraising
Ensure that your organisation adheres to ethical and climate-just fundraising that avoids Fossil Fuel funding opportunities.
To develop a Fossil Fuel Free Sponsorship Policy and/or Statement, you can review the below template and example:
Position Statement Fossil Fuel advertising and sponsorship (Doctors for Environment Australia)
3. Take action
Advocate for fossil fuel-free funding within your sector and partners, and hold governments and industries that you are working with accountable for any funding linked to the fossil fuel industry.
Take the pledge – Fossil Free Sponsorships (350.org)
Sign the Fossil Fuel Free Pledge (Climate Council)
Read more
9 Actions That Will Help Your Company Support Climate Justice (Embedding Project)
Game over for fossil fuel sponsorships: Climate Council launches new code urging arts, sports bosses to sign (Climate Council)
Call time on fossil fuel sponsorships (Climate Council)
Arts community pledge for ‘fossil free sponsorship’ (ARTS hub)
