EY facing ACCC complaint following ‘flawed’ report
EY facing ACCC complaint following ‘flawed’ report
The article exposes a case of "data washing," where an industry body commissioned consulting firm EY to produce modelling that allegedly misrepresented the necessity of natural gas in Australia’s net-zero strategy. Critics argue this sophisticated disinformation misled policymakers into supporting expanded gas production by suggesting it remained essential for climate goals, thereby delaying the genuine energy transition under the guise of credible, independent analysis. At the heart of the controversy is the claim that EY selectively manipulated IPCC scenarios, excluding pathways requiring steep gas declines in favor of those assuming continued high demand. This selective interpretation contradicts authoritative scientific bodies and the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree targets. By presenting these flawed assumptions as definitive, the report created a false narrative that gas expansion is both inevitable and necessary, effectively using technical aesthetics to embed fossil fuel-friendly outcomes into national policy discussions. This incident highlights a critical aspect of greenwashing: the use of paid, biased expert analysis to legitimize environmentally harmful practices. It demonstrates how deep financial ties between fossil fuel industries and major consultancies can compromise neutrality, allowing misleading data to shape public debate and government decisions. The case underscores the difficulty in spotting such disinformation, as it mimics legitimate research to undermine climate integrity and justify continued investment in new fossil fuel infrastructure.
Source: lawyersweekly.com.auPublished on 2025-10-17