---
title: Misinformation puts potential wind energy industry at risk
description: Political rhetoric and alleged misinformation around the impacts of offshore wind farms has led to fears that a potential wind energy industry could be derailed before it properly begins.
---
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au)
[](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy)
The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# Misinformation puts potential wind energy industry at risk
Monday, 6 November 2023
A wave of political rhetoric and alleged misinformation around the impacts of offshore wind farms on whales has led to fears that a potential wind energy industry off the coast of the Illawarra and Hunter regions could be derailed before it properly begins. Greenpeace says that exploration for and construction of offshore wind projects is far less damaging than the oil and gas industry, because sonar mapping of the ocean floor is far quieter than the seismic blasting used to find fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, a Federal proposal that would see corporations protected from private litigation over misleading climate claims for three years is being opposed by legal groups and environmental law firms, who say that this would restrict access to justice, undermine Australia's goal to reduce emissions to 43 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030, and prevent legal moves against corporate greenwashing.
And former Pacific leaders are calling for the region to demand that Australia “stop approving Pacific-killing coal and gas projects” as a precondition for approving a joint bid to host a UN climate conference. Other Pasifika activists are also calling out climate inaction as a violation of their human rights ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands.
**Top stories:**
[Projects hijacked by ‘political actors like Peter Dutton suddenly pretending to care about whales’](https://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/wind-farms-misinformation-peter-dutton-climate-change-20231101-p5egvn.html)
A wave of political rhetoric and alleged misinformation around offshore wind farms has led to fears that a potential future wind energy industry off the coast of the Illawarra and Hunter regions could be derailed before it properly begins.
[Australian lawyers concerned by proposed three-year freeze on corporate greenwashing litigation](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2Fscience%2F2023-11-03%2Faustralian-lawyers-concerned-by-greenwashing-litigation-ban%2F103049090&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=y9Yo9jpZFu2gb6dtj2fji79mbi0&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5hYmMubmV0LmF1In0.G6KfJQf9DTg3BPfDRnL8aNk-KGOfbZc12czKSTcqj9BstN0qGFyj-TGroGNT_097qH1_WRMtfq5v4vGs7BrXgQ)
Legal groups and environmental law firms have opposed a federal government proposal that would protect corporations from private litigation over misleading climate claims for three years.
[Pacific Island elders want Australia’s UN climate summit bid paused](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Flisten%2Fprograms%2Fradionational-drive%2Fpacific-island-elders-australia-s-un-climate-summit-paused%2F103062852&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=gb0N-jIepbgVRARN_hV5DZm8n0o&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5hYmMubmV0LmF1In0.G6KfJQf9DTg3BPfDRnL8aNk-KGOfbZc12czKSTcqj9BstN0qGFyj-TGroGNT_097qH1_WRMtfq5v4vGs7BrXgQ)
Former Pacific leaders say the region should demand Australia “stop approving Pacific-killing coal and gas projects” as a precondition for approving a joint bid to host a UN climate conference.
[Pasifika activists say climate inaction is a violation of human rights](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbs.com.au%2Fnews%2Fpodcast-episode%2Fpasifika-activists-say-climate-inaction-is-a-violation-of-human-rights%2F8g0atatsr&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=kYSwH5PJsPAO-Wj9EeQ388jxKZc&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5zYnMuY29tLmF1In0.-HdjYjAJhCRb2qk3QylcbtoulfxN5wOfqfnpSX_YMCXkgEGwudGd9JgNTKjJlz7f0oZHFWS5EqZHFaON6uCkHw)
Pasifika activists are calling on Australia to take firmer steps to reducing emissions, saying failure to do so is a violation of their human rights
[The Santos worker who blew the whistle about dead dolphins and an oil spill](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2023-11-04%2Fthe-santos-worker-who-blew-whistle-on-dead-dolphins-oil-spill%2F103056606&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=d-SpCNRbAIB11I3l-8PmCO05ECc&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5hYmMubmV0LmF1In0.G6KfJQf9DTg3BPfDRnL8aNk-KGOfbZc12czKSTcqj9BstN0qGFyj-TGroGNT_097qH1_WRMtfq5v4vGs7BrXgQ)
A whistleblower is convinced that Australian energy giant Santos misled the public and sought to cover up the true impact of a 25,000 litre spill of condensate in the sea.
[Australia’s 2024-25 budget to focus on supporting green energy industries,](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/05/australias-2024-25-budget-to-focus-on-supporting-green-energy-industries-chalmers-flags)Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has flagged that the next federal budget will back green energy winners to help the renewable energy transition.
[Investigation underway into Sunshine Coast polystyrene spill at start of turtle nesting season](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2023-11-05%2Fsunshine-coast-polystyrene-clean-up-maroochydore%2F103065542&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=44C-Sz2rh8H4yfzhebXjEPz7YAA&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5hYmMubmV0LmF1In0.G6KfJQf9DTg3BPfDRnL8aNk-KGOfbZc12czKSTcqj9BstN0qGFyj-TGroGNT_097qH1_WRMtfq5v4vGs7BrXgQ)
An investigation is underway after thousands of polystyrene balls washed up on Sunshine Coast beaches just days into turtle nesting season.
[Rising sea levels spur moves to restrict housing in South Gippsland townse](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fnational%2Fvictoria%2Frising-sea-levels-spur-moves-to-restrict-housing-in-south-gippsland-towns-20231102-p5eh4l.html&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=_nWEY4BpsjFScTfS44Gbt_e4Om4&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1In0.dLrErlrnr5ygrw6r9BmLnD1I0aNYVH93_YJo5EofLTHngNTsac5xMwvusd5MeI2-ZEAd-GcYmYdqdbniemYuyQ)
Rising sea levels along have spurred moves to stop a housing sprawl at seaside holiday towns in Victoria, to reduce exposure to climate-change related disasters.
[energy policy](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/energy-policy), [climate change](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/climate-change), [Pacific](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/pacific), [Oil](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/oil), [fossil fuel](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/fossil-fuel), [renewables](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/renewables), [activism](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/activism), [climate justice](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/climate-justice), [net zero](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/net-zero)
### Will you share with your friends?
[Share on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/misinformation-puts-potential-wind-energy-industry-at-risk%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [Share on Whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=Check%20out%20this%20thing%20from%20Greenpeace!%20https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/misinformation-puts-potential-wind-energy-industry-at-risk%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dwhatsapp) [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/misinformation-puts-potential-wind-energy-industry-at-risk%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/misinformation-puts-potential-wind-energy-industry-at-risk%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=)
[Go to the website](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
## More news
### [Nuclear too slow and expensive to help Australia reach net zero, study finds](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/nuclear-too-slow-and-expensive-to-help-australia-reach-net-zero-study-finds)
Nuclear power should not form part of Australia’s plans to reach net zero emissions, a new report...
### [Central Queensland is becoming a renewables powerhouse](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/central-queensland-is-becoming-a-renewables-powerhouse)
Central Queensland is continuing to establish itself as a renewables powerhouse with a new solar...
### [Australia's energy transition at tipping point as AGL closes Liddell](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/australias-energy-transition-at-tipping-point-as-agl-closes-liddell)
AGL, Australia’s biggest climate polluter, this week started the fortnight-long process of closing...
Work like this is only made possible by our supporters. Greenpeace accepts NO government funding or corporate donations to remain impartial. To amplify meaningful climate activism in Australia, ***become a regular giver today.***
[Donate to Support Greenpeace](https://donate.greenpeace.org.au/)
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
Connect with us
**Call:** [1800 815 151](tel:1800815151)
Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders — past, present and future — and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia, the environmental movement and the Greenpeace crew.
© Greenpeace 2026. [Privacy Policy.](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/privacy-policy/)