Climate decision reveals Walkley’s dilemma

Climate decision reveals Walkley’s dilemma

Out of the ruins of the World Wars, two fledgling industries sprouted, grew and took over the world: petroleum and public relations. In Australia, there are few better examples of this than Ampol’s founder, Sir William Gaston Walkley and his head of PR, Terry...
Letter to Walkley Awards

Letter to Walkley Awards

I am writing as the founder of Comms Declare, a group of marcomms professionals that advocates for climate action. We are concerned that the Walkleys has Ampol as a sponsor. This association gives reputational cover to Australia’s largest transport fuel provider – a...
Walkley Awards fuelled by petroleum

Walkley Awards fuelled by petroleum

How deep do the fossil fuel funds flow? Straight to the heart of Australia’s most prestigious journalism awards.The Walkley Awards were actually started by Ampol and named after its boss. Here’s a photo from the inaugural awards in 1956 featuring the...

Ad regulator backs ‘carbon neutral’ petrol

Ad Standards has dismissed a complaint from Comms Declare about a social media post on Ampol’s ‘carbon neutral’ fuel. The Facebook post shows an image of treetops with the words “Ampol Carbon Neutral” and claims Ampol can offset all the greenhouse gas emissions from...