Comms Declare, which represents hundreds of workers in the marketing industries, has written to the National Press Club (NPC) asking that tomorrow’s talk by Future Coal Chief Executive, Michelle Manook, on Tuesday 18th of November 2025 be cancelled.
Future Coal is the rebranded World Coal Association, the global lobbying group for the most polluting energy source.
Comms Declare pointed out the following reasons why the lobby group should not be given a respectable national platform in Australia:
- Significant ties to Russia
- Supports a product that cause enormous damage to health and the environment
- Greenwashing by using terms such as ‘clean coal’
- History of climate obstruction
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Comms Declare founder, Belinda Noble said: “The Walkley Awards and National Press Gallery Mid-Winter Ball have cut ties with fossil fuel sponsors. But the NPC lags behind public sentiment and science by giving their stage to coal lobbyists and keeping sponsors like Woodside.”
“Fossil fuel lobbying is one of the reasons we don’t have the strong climate action that most Australians want and need, and giving the coal lobby the NPC stage legitimises that obstruction.”
Climate Analytics used Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) data found that to stay at 1.5 degrees warming:
- Global coal use in electricity generation must fall by 80% below 2010 levels by 2030;
- OECD nations should end coal use entirely by 2030;
- All coal-fired power stations must be shut by 2040 at the latest.
The NPC responded to Comms Declare’s request by saying they have faith that journalists that attend the talk will pose difficult questions for the speaker and that it should not be presumed that the NPC board is supportive of Future Coal’s positions.