Greenwashing and brainwashing – New analysis reveals how many Australian universities take dirty dollars from fossil fuel companies

It’s been revealed that 26 Australian universities take money from fossil fuel companies in the form of grants, scholarships and corporate partnerships.

University staff, students and experts say it’s a form of greenwashing by the nation’s biggest polluters and contravenes universities’ own environmental, social and governance (ESG) declarations.

They also point out the irony that universities teach the science of climate change while accepting money from the organisations which cause climate change.

A report by The Australia Institute found that relationships between universities and polluters “compromised the integrity of those universities’ research and undermined their independence, impartiality, and credibility.”

It found that fossil fuel companies funded 24 research centres at 19 different universities, including the University of Queensland’s Centre for Natural Gas (various gas companies), the Monash Energy Institute (Woodside) and the University of South Australia’s Future Industries Institute (Santos).

It also found fossil fuel companies fund scholarships to the value of at least $423,000 a year.

“Coal and gas companies should not be funding science in the 2020s,” said Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute.

“The science of climate change is clear. Universities teach this science.”

“Fossil fuel companies causing climate change in the 21st century are buying influence with Australia’s leading research organisations, just like tobacco companies bought off medical researchers last century.

The issue came to a head earlier this year when journalist Royce Kurmelovs investigated Monash University’s long-running partnership with Woodside.

His report began by saying Monash “promised to divest from fossil fuels in 2016” but “later revised this decision to say it would only divest from coal, allowing the country’s biggest oil and gas company, Woodside, to fund and name a centre. As that partnership comes up for renewal at the end of 2025, students and faculty are pushing the university to reconsider.”

A number of experts, including the author of The Australia Institute research, Rod Campbell, spoke at a rally at Monash University in August.

“Students want universities to stop cosying up to big gas and coal companies.”

“Gas companies made $170 billion over the last four years, selling gas that the Australian government gave them for free.”

“The simple policy fix is to tax the gas industry and properly fund universities.”

“Australia’s universities are under fire for various governance failures. Links with coal and gas companies are just the latest demonstration that universities are selling their integrity and selling it cheap.”