‘Not even oligarchs can get away with misleading the public’: Rinehart’s ‘clean gas’ claims fall foul of Ad Standards
Hancock Prospecting has been found in breach of the AANA Environmental Claims Code, after a complaint regarding the company’s “clean gas” was upheld by Ad Standards.
The company, owned by Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, ran an advertisement for its recruitment site futureaustralianjobs.com on The Australian last October.
The ad claimed “Our clean gas keeps the lights, and factories, hospitals, and shops open from Tokyo to Toowoomba”, with the ‘clean’ claim disputed by climate communications group, Comms Declare.
The advertisement, as seen on the digital edition of The Australian in October, 2024.
The Ad Standards community panel found that claims of “clean gas” in the advertisement were both misleading and unsubstantiated, ruling that “without further disclaimers explaining the limitations of the word ‘clean’ in this context, the advertisement was misleading or deceptive or likely to mislead or deceive”.
The panel noted that the term ‘clean’ was “a broad and unqualified general claim of environmental benefit which was not supported by a high level of substantiation”.
In its complaint, Comms Declare noted that Ad Standards previously found claims made by Australian Gas Networks in 2020 that gas is “cleaner and greener” were “misleading, as there are other energy sources which would be considered cleaner and greener than gas”.
Hancock Prospecting has since confirm that the advertisement is discontinued.
Belinda Noble, founder and president of Comms Declare told Mumbrella the climate comms agency is thrilled by the decision.
“This is a significant ruling because it shows not even oligarchs can get away with misleading the public,” she said.
“It’s also significant because the panel rejected the arguments from Hancock Prospecting that its gas was clean – which is a break from the past when the health and environmental dangers of gas were not as well understood.”
Noble told Mumbrella this is the first successful ruling she can think of against claims of “clean” gas.
“In 2023 there was a successful ruling against Santos for claiming that gas was ‘50% cleaner than coal’,” she added.
“The latest trend we’ve seen from the gas industry, however, is not using green claims but rather half-baked appeals on economics or national security. For example Woodside is advertising on billboards around the country that it will supply ‘reliable energy for decades to come’, subtly leaning into the false argument that renewable energy is not secure or reliable.”
Despite the finding, under the self-regulation regime, Ad Standards cannot issue financial penalties.
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