Dear Education Governance
Comms Declare is a group of advertising and marketing professionals that aim to stop the promotion of climate pollution and increase clean communications.
I make this submission on behalf of our 300+ members, especially those in the ACT.
We support adding ‘fossil fuels’ to the list of prohibited sponsors in ACT schools.
More Australian children are losing years of good health to diseases caused by air pollution from burning fossil fuels than tobacco smoke, while fossil fuels are also linked to respiratory illness, cancer, and pregnancy complications.
Climate change, predominantly caused by burning fossil fuels, is the greatest threat to our children’s future wellbeing.
In addition, fossil fuel companies have a documented history of using sponsorship and advertising to ‘greenwash’ their pollution, influencing debate in attempts to stop actions that reduce climate pollution.
Our kids will not be prepared for future challenges if their education is influenced by legacy coal, oil and gas companies, whose priority is to slow the clean energy transformation.
In recognition of the negative effects of fossil fuel influence on education, and intervention from renowned climate scientist Prof Lesley Hughes, Macquarie University dropped Santos branding of a school science program in 2022. And the national science museum, Questacon, dropped two fossil fuel sponsors the same year.
Restrictions on fossil fuel advertising are supported by the UN Secretary General, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), Doctors for the Environment and more than 200 health groups and professionals. They have been enacted in more than 40 jurisdictions around the world.
Thank you for considering this submission to help our children’s future.
