Ad Standards rejects activist claim against Bravus
Australia’s advertising regulator has rejected a vexatious complaint about Bravus’ website by anti-coal activists and the taxpayer-supported Environmental Defenders Office.
An Ad Standards Community Panel found Bravus’ website did not breach of the Australian Association of National Advertisers Code on the Bravus website. The complaint was brought by the Environmental Defenders Office on behalf of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC).
This dismissal followed the Community Panel’s initial rejection of the complaint in December 2023, which the Environmental Defenders Office then appealed. There are no further avenues for appeal.
A Bravus spokesperson said the company was pleased the complaint had been dismissed as it was a misuse of process and taxpayers’ money by anti-coal activists waging green lawfare.
The Australian Government has allocated $8.2 million in funding to the Environmental Defenders Office over the next four years, a significant boost from the $1.2m the activist group’s financial reports say it received from governments in FY 2023.
The Queensland Government has also provided three Community Sustainability Action grants totalling $564,000 to the Environmental Defenders Office a recently as November 2023.
“We stand by the statements on our website which provide a factual account of our business here in Australia and overseas, and we’re pleased Ad Standards has recognised this,” the spokesperson said.
“We are disappointed that the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) has wasted taxpayers’ money attacking our legal right to publicise our business.
“We note the recent Federal Court criticism that the EDO had engaged in ‘coaching’ Indigenous people and confecting evidence to manipulate a legal proceeding against another resources company.
“We also note that the ARRCC speaks for the individuals who are its members. These members do not speak for their faith groups more broadly.
“Unlike the anti-fossil fuel movement, we are forthright about having the conversation that the sustainable global energy mix requires both affordable and reliable baseload power and renewable energy for decades to come to ensure an equitable transition for developed and developing nations.
“Our Australian operations support this sustainable and affordable energy mix that is helping to lift global populations out of poverty, while prioritising local jobs and community benefits here at home.
“We also have significant renewable energy operations here in Australia including the Rugby Run solar farm near Moranbah in central Queensland. This was rated by Rystad Energy as the best performing solar PV asset in the nation last year.
“Outside of Australia our parent, the Adani Group, has 9GW of renewable energy in operation and a further 15GW under construction or planned.
“At a Group level we are international manufacturers of solar panels and wind turbines, and we recently installed the world’s first hybrid wind-solar power plant.
“Adani Transmission Limited and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone also committed in 2022 and 2020 to meeting net zero carbon targets that are in line with the Science-Based Targets initiative.”
ENDS