Climate misinformation and disinformation in Australia often originates from the very institutions charged with protecting the public interest. While this report focuses on climate, the reforms outlined in this report address the same root causes that enable misinformation across Australian public life.

This report finds that the Australian Government is a source of climate misinformation and disinformation. Through official communications that amplify fossil fuel industry narratives, exaggerate progress and promote false solutions, the Government undermines science, delays decarbonisation and legitimises fossil fuel expansion. When governments repeat or amplify these claims, they lend them the authority of public office. 

Addressing this requires systemic reforms to prevent and hold government accountable for misleading climate information. By establishing enforceable truth standards, mandating transparency of assumptions and datasets, tightening integrity rules for statutory bodies, and addressing media concentration, Australia can not only curb climate misinformation but also build systemic resilience against misinformation in health, economics, national security and other domains.

Key findings

• Ministers, departments, and statutory agencies have repeatedly presented selective or misleading information about Australia’s emissions performance, the projected impacts of policies, and the role of fossil fuels in the economy. 
• When statutory bodies are led or advised by individuals with financial or professional stakes in offset markets, environmental services, or high-emissions industries, the credibility of their assessments and communications is compromised.
• The Government is not only a source of climate disinformation but frequently benefits from misleading narratives generated by others.

This report is submitted to the Senate Inquiry into Greenwashing.