Transparency advocates say secret campaigns such as Project Caesar have to be brought out of the shadows

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Revelations that Glencore used a secret multi-million dollar project to bolster support for coal have outraged environmentalists and transparency advocates, who are calling for democratic reform to bring such campaigns out of the shadows.

Glencore used one of the world’s best political operatives, the C|T Group, to run a vast, secret communications campaign aimed at shifting public and government attitudes towards coal.

The campaign, named Project Caesar, used an annual budget of between £4m and £7m to spread sophisticated pro-coal, anti-renewables messaging across social media, using slick video, memes and graphics through supposedly grassroots Facebook groups.

Revealed: Glencore bankrolled covert campaign to prop up coal Read more

Project Caesar also involved significant government relations and traditional media campaigns.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd described Project Caesar as a “national disgrace” in a tweet on Thursday, while environmentalists and transparency groups called for integrity reforms.

The Transparency International Australia chief executive, Serena Lillywhite, said the revelations reinforced the need for the routine publication of federal ministers’ diaries, a practice already employed in NSW.

The publication of diaries would have allowed the public to see whether Glencore or its representatives were meeting with those in power during Project Caesar, and what they discussed.

Screenshot of Energy in Australia Facebook page.

Lillywhite said the lobbyist register – widely considered to be grossly deficient – also required an overhaul to better show the public how private interests are seeking to influence government.

“Project Caesar appears to be another blatant example of big business funding high-paid lobbyists to promote their own interests – at the expense of everyone else,” Lillywhite said. “The lobbyist register isn’t functioning properly and needs an overhaul. Politicians should disclose all the meetings they have and the donations they receive, in real time.”

“This way, the public gets to see who may be influencing political decisions. If sunlight is the best disinfectant, transparency is the best vaccine against vested interests leaning on political decisions.”

Project Caesar identified key detractors of coal, including Greenpeace, and built intelligence about their size, funding, and issues that could be used to embarrass or undermine.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific head of campaigns, Jamie Hanson, said the project was an affront to democracy and another example of Glencore “attempting to sow misinformation about the damage that they’re doing to the environment”.

“This creepy operation, by a Swiss multinational giant that has frequently been accused of environmental and human rights violations, is an affront to every Australian who values the health of our democracy,” Hanson said.

“More Australians than ever want urgent action on global warming. Ageing dirty coal power stations will give way to cheap, clean power from the wind and the sun. Glencore’s attempt to intimidate won’t deter this increasingly loud majority.”

Screenshot of Energy in Australia Facebook page.

The Australian Conservation Foundation said Glencore was using the campaign to muddy the science and attack renewable alternatives for the purposes of profit.

“This is about putting private profit ahead of the safety of the community and the viability of our planet,” ACF chief executive, Kelly O’Shanassy, said.

“Glencore and C|T Group’s strategy is further evidence that Australia needs greater democratic reform to get lobbying and big money out of our politics, and make big companies more accountable to the community for their actions.”

Project Caesar began in early 2017 and continued until mid-February, utilising campaign teams in C|T Group’s Sydney and London offices, according to multiple sources and documents seen by the Guardian.

One source said it was linked to a Facebook group and website with significant reach, named Energy in Australia. The Facebook group pushed out professional video and graphics attacking renewables and praising high-efficiency, low-emissions (Hele) coal power plants to its more than 20,000 followers.

No link between the page and Glencore or the C|T Group was disclosed. Energy in Australia was taken offline within days of Guardian Australia posing questions to the C|T Group and Glencore about its links to Project Caesar.

Glencore has confirmed it paid the C|T Group to run the project, saying it was designed to counter misinformation spread by environmental activists and promote basic facts about coal.

Glencore said it asked for the project to be wound up to align with its recent stance on climate change, which will see it cap global coal output.

“The project’s objective was to convey simple facts about coal and in particular to counter misinformation from environmental activists,” he said.

“Our business continues to engage with a range of stakeholders on the role that coal plays in socioeconomic development and enabling access to reliable energy. We also acknowledge the need to transition to a low-carbon economy. Glencore’s portfolio of commodities will allow the company to play a key role in this transition.”

When previously contacted, the C|T Group declined to comment, other than to say:

“All information about our clients is treated with the strictest confidence.”