OPINION: A recent report reveals that coal, gas and oil companies are doing what is called “greenwashing” at these and other major sports events and national teams. 

The term ‘greenwashing’ is where major polluters like these companies attempt to soften their images with sports sponsorship packages, and soft messaging. 

Estimates range upward of $18 million per year in sponsorship dollars. But there has been a shift in high-profile people calling them out. 

Perhaps the most highest profile situation of late has been our very own Donnell Wallam, whose stand against Hancock Prospecting led to that multi-national, multi-billion dollar company withdrawing their $15m sponsorship of Netball Australia. 

At the heart of Donnell’s objections, however, wasn’t the company’s environmental impact, nor its miserly (if even existent) payments to Aboriginal people upon whose country they mine – no, it was to do with the founder, the late Lang Hancock’s reprehensible comments about Aboriginal people, which I won’t give the dignity of reproducing here. 

Lost in what Donnell’s objections were primarily about, the commentary surrounding it has at least cast light onto what the resources sector is attempting to do – basically downplaying their reluctance to make real and lasting changes toward the health of our environment…