Climate activists are targeting Federal MPs who accept donations from fossil fuel companies.
350.org released a report that claimed the two major political parties had received close to $3.7 million in donations from fossil fuel companies since the last election.
In the wake of speculation about an early election, the group has called on Australian politicians to sign a “Pollution Free Politics” pledge.
Last week, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull committed funding for two renewable energy agencies, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Both agencies slated to close by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The 350.org campaign has been designed to highlight financial influence the fossil fuel industry still has over government.
Fossil Free UOW Coordinator Emily Kain said she was not surprised by the amount of money being donated to politicians.
“When I first heard numbers similar to that a few years ago, they really did surprise me. I had no idea just how powerful big business can be, and what that meant to the world,” Ms Kain said.
“Now, having worked on this issue a fair bit, those numbers are more upsetting than surprising. The reason that any company exists is to make a profit.”
The report claimed the government would provide $7.7 billion in subsidies to fossil fuel industries in 2016-17.
Minerals Council of Australia Chief Executive Brendan Pearson dismissed the claims.
“There are no subsidies to the mining industry. That is not my view, that is the consistent view of the Australian Treasury, the Productivity Commission and successive Australian governments,” Mr Pearson said.
“The campaign will wither on its own incoherence,” Pearson told the Sydney Morning Herald.
So far, 14 of 226 MPs have pledged to go ‘pollution-free’ in the next election.
