Fossil-fuel companies are being shown the red card on their sponsorships of sporting and arts events as industry bosses face pressure to ditch the lucrative deals under a voluntary code.
Leading environmental advocacy group the Climate Council will launch the code for sports clubs and arts institutions in response to pressure from athletes, artists, fans and punters for action to protect the planet.
The council said flooded festivals, cancelled concerts due to bushfire risk, and unsafe heat disrupting play at the tennis and footy spotlighted the impact of climate change on activities and events Aussies loved.
The code will be revealed alongside a new report that criticises gas companies such as Woodside, Santos, Chevron and Tamboran Resources for “piggy-backing” on iconic pastimes to divert attention from environmental destruction.
“It is absurd that, as climate change reshapes our way of life in real-time, the logos of fossil-fuel companies responsible for this mess are plastered across athletes’ chests, emblazoned on gallery walls and prominently displayed at festival grounds,” Climate Council head of advocacy Dr Jennifer Rayner said.
“We urge every club member, sports fan, arts aficionado, parents, players, anyone who cares deeply about saving Australian sports, to promote the code to those who can make the right call.”
In its report, conducted in collaboration with researchers from Edith Cowan University, the council compares the current conversation about fossil-fuel sponsorships in sports to that of tobacco in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s.
Federal parliament ultimately passed laws that put an end to most forms of tobacco advertising, including sponsorship, because of the public health impacts of smoking.
The council’s proposed code includes a pledge for organisations to cease current contracts with fossil-fuel companies at the end of their term and to not enter into new arrangements in future.
It also called for a commitment from sporting and arts organisations to annually disclose their sponsorship arrangements for transparency.
“It is beyond the pale that the corporations fuelling the climate crisis continue to enjoy brand exposure to millions of Australians by positioning their logos all over our favourite sports, arts and events,” the report said.
“(These are) the very events their products are putting at risk.”
It also referenced polling conducted by the Australia Institute in October 2022, which found 53 per cent of Australians believed fossil-fuel companies should be banned from sponsoring national sporting teams.
Report co-author Ashlee Morgan said climate change was reshaping the Aussie way of life, and sports, arts and events organisers should seize the opportunity to lead by example.
“By removing fossil-fuel sponsorships, we can send a powerful message that we prioritise the health and wellbeing of our communities,” Dr Morgan said.
Former Socceroos captain and human rights advocate Craig Foster, as well as pro long-boarder Tully White, will help launch the code alongside climate experts and academics.