Greens and Pocock Back Inquiry into Fossil Fuel 'Petro-Grooming' of Children

The Greens and David Pocock have backed calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the alleged “petro-grooming” of children after an investigation exposed the extent of the fossil fuel sector’s presence in schools, sports clubs and other educational institutions.

The resources minister, Madeleine King, has defended industry sponsorships of grassroots and elite sports and said it was fortunate so many companies were prepared to support clubs.

A new report from climate advocacy group Comms Declare identified at least 260 industry-backed programs or sponsorships that were reaching children and teenagers from early childhood centres and schools to sporting clubs, museums and career pathway programs.

Examples included an education program at the Queensland Museum, sponsored by Shell and its subsidiary Queensland Gas Company, that produced learning materials for young students and free professional development courses for teachers.

A school’s Stem program sponsored by a major fossil fuel company encouraged pupils aged eight and nine to build models of offshore drilling activities using bread, Vegemite and sprinkles.

Often, the report said, educational materials backed by fossil fuel sponsorship would accentuate the supposed personal steps people could take to reduce emissions, while underplaying the role of major corporations in producing and selling fossil fuels.

The report also includes sports sponsorship programs and community development grants where, in one instance, applicants were asked how they would promote the company that was giving them money.

Comms Declare is using the findings to push for a Senate inquiry to examine the “scale, nature and impact of fossil fuel engagement” with children and to renew calls for a national ban on advertising and sponsorships from coal, oil and gas companies.

“The coal oil and gas companies are profiteering [and] polluting, while simultaneously petro-grooming our kids,” the organisation’s founder, Belinda Noble, told a press conference at parliament house on Monday to launch the report.

“We believe our children deserve to play and learn in environments that are free from conflicted commercial influence.”

Noble said children should be taught about energy mix, which includes gas, but the material should not be linked to companies with “an obvious bias”.

The Greens will this week push to establish Comms Declare’s proposed Senate inquiry before the federal parliament rises for a five-week winter break.

The party’s resources spokesperson, Steph Hodgins-May, accused fossil fuel companies of using the programs and sponsorships to “build social licence” – a sentiment shared by Pocock.

“Get your dirty hands off our kids, that is our message to the fossil fuel industry, who have no place in early-learning centres, in schools, or in our cultural institutions in this country,” Hodgins-May said.

“Children should go to school to get evidence-based education, not to be brainwashed by fossil fuel corporations seeking to build social licence.”

In a statement to Guardian Australia responding to the Comms Declare report, King strongly endorsed industry sponsorships of sporting clubs without commenting on support for other programs.

“Resources companies have long supported Australian sport. From grassroots netball, hockey and soccer to the AFL and Olympic swimming and rowing,” she said.

“Sponsorship by resources companies can in some places literally make the difference on some clubs staying afloat and whether local kids get a game on the weekend. Particularly in country areas.

“Most Australians understand this. Certainly the majority of parents attending kids’ sport on the weekend understand this. We are very fortunate to have so many resource companies in a position to sponsor Australian sport and under this government we want that to remain the case.”

The Minerals Council of Australia chief executive, Tania Constable, said the sector was proud to support programs that build awareness about energy’s role in the modern world and job opportunities in mining.

“Teaching more students about earth sciences and encouraging open and inquiring minds is essential to Australia’s future, our national resilience and our ability to meet growing demand for our minerals through responsible exploration and mining,” she said.