Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Environment
Graham Readfearn Environment and climate correspondent

‘Denial machine’: climate misinformation is fuelling conflict in Australian communities, inquiry finds

Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson
The recent inquiry, chaired by Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson, heard evidence that a ‘denial machine’ had obstructed climate policy in Australia for decades by spreading misinformation. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Australia’s climate change and energy “information ecosystem” is fuelling conflict in communities, with misinformation and disinformation confusing the public, slowing renewable energy projects and undermining policy responses to the climate crisis, a cross-party Senate inquiry has concluded.

The inquiry’s final report, released on Tuesday evening, recommended the government do more to make tech companies liable for “psychosocial harms” spread on their platforms.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.