Malcolm Turnbull’s next climate and energy adviser will be Sid Marris, who is leaving his role as head of climate and environment at the coal industry lobby group, the Minerals Council of Australia.
The appointment comes amid a push from the Turnbull government for new coal-fired generators to be built, a suggestion enthusiastically welcomed by the Minerals Council.
Marris has worked for the Minerals Council since 2008, after spending 16 years at the Australian newspaper, filling roles including Canberra bureau chief, online political editor and economic correspondent.
The chief executive of the Minerals Council, Brendan Pearson, said: “Sid is a high-quality professional with very strong analytical and policy skills. We will miss him and wish him well.”
But the pressure group 350.org said the move raised further questions about government links to the coal industry.
During his time at the Minerals Council, the group successfully fought campaigns against the mining tax and the carbon tax. The group also lobbied to have the Renewable Energy Target lowered in 2015, which the Abbott government did with Labor’s support.
In 2015 the Minerals Council ran an ad campaign called Little Black Rock that spruiked the “endless possibilities” of coal.
Turnbull said this week the Clean Energy Finance Corporation should be able to fund new coal-fired power plant and resources minister Matthew Canavan has said the $5bn Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility was open to “clean” coal projects.
On Thursday the Australian Energy Council said the industry had no plans to build new coal-fired power stations. Several energy companies, including AGL, Origin Energy and Energy Australia, have also indicated they have no plans to build new coal-fired power plants.
The news that Marris would be taking the role was first reported by the Australian Financial Review on Thursday. The prime minister’s office confirmed the appointment but has not commented further.
Marris has declined to comment.
Charlie Wood, the campaigns director of the activist group 350.org, which has lobbied against the “revolving door” between politics and the coal industry, said: “It is very hard to see where the Australian government ends and the coal industry begins. They have essentially become the same thing. It is no surprise that we continue to fiddle on climate as the world burns ...
“The Minerals Council has a strong track record of lobby against climate action. If they get their way, there will be no safe climate future,” Wood said.
