Following the Money: Trade Associations, Political Activity and Climate Change

A series of webinars created by the Hothouse at ANU, discussing the intersections between climate change, inequity, and human health. The focus is on actions that enable transformative change away from the harmful consumptogenic system to systems that promote good health, social equity and environmental wellbeing.

This episode will feature Hothouse Associate Fellow Christian Downie in discussion with Nick Frank and Sharon Friel:

The political activities of industries associated with the production and consumption of fossil fuels have thwarted state efforts to advance climate policy around the world. Yet we know very little about the role of trade associations that firms use to coordinate their activities. In this talk, Christian Downie from the Australian National University, follows the money to explore the political activities of trade associations in the United States between 2008 and 2018. Drawing on an original dataset built from tax filings, Christian will examine the revenue of these industry groups and their political spending. He will also draw on interviews with industry executives and lobbyists to discuss the political strategies trade associations use to shape climate policy.