The Atlas Network is a conservative foundation based in the USA and bent on disrupting democracies and shifting political power to divisive right-wing political parties. It is a highly organised, well funded propaganda machine with affiliated organisations around the world.
Atlas employs top international PR companies to develop campaigns, often the companies responsible for marketing tobacco products while knowing they were deadly. The simple messages they devise use the same graphics and language to promote their campaigns in many countries.
Atlas Network conceals its partners or ‘thinktanks’, which in turn hide their support for fake ‘’grass roots organisations’. Their focus is on undermining climate science, spreading misinformation about renewable energy and reducing the rights of indigenous peoples, trade unions and workers. Behind most of what they do is their support for the vested interests of the main sources of their funds – the fossil fuel industries.
There are people working at all levels of government, and on the boards of universities, public institutions, media and Australian companies who have been trained by ultra-loyal conservatives in the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation in WA and/or by the Atlas Network Academy in the US.
Australian examples of campaigns backed by Atlas affiliates:
- repeal of the carbon tax – a levy imposed by the Gillard government on the biggest polluters
- the massive defeat of the referendum that would have given indigenous people a Voice to Parliament – Indigenous voices would have raised their right to protect country
- misinformation campaigns against windfarms – because of their potential to produce electricity 24 hours a day, in direct competition with coal and gas
- the push to build a nuclear industry in Australia – which would delay the transition to renewables
- campaigns about the dangers and damage done by ‘reckless renewables’
- advocating against the Net Zero by 2050 target.
These campaigns are quickly amplified by most of the mainstream media – in Murdoch’s News Corp papers and Sky News, and in a less blatant way by the Seven West Media, the Australian Financial Review and other Nine Holdings’ outlets.
It’s also worth remembering that fossil fuel industries are subsidised by Australian governments. In just one year, 2024-2025, the industries received spending and tax breaks of $14.9 billion, and future estimates indicate this will increase in the current year (Australia Institute). The so-called climate wars have been well funded, not just by the huge profits made globally by the fossil fuel industries, but also by our governments chipping in.
The recent Australian Senate Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy 2025 exposed the Atlas Network and its affiliates in the Submission No. 243 by Dr Jeremy Walker. The Committee report is due Tuesday 24 March.
Dr Walker, from the Climate Society and Environment Research Centre, University of Technology, Sydney, spoke at a public hearing – start at 1:37:00.
Knitting Nannas have been aware of the Atlas Network operating in Australia since 2023, but since then the network has expanded. We encourage our friends to check out organisations which proport to be grassroots groups that have spontaneously popped up to oppose renewable energy projects. To start checking them out, see our list below.
Background information and more links at our Atlas Network Update 2026.
List of Australian Organisations
The forty organisations listed below may not all be part of the Atlas Network ecosystem, but their ideas and campaigns align with it. Thinktanks, spinoff organisations, astroturfing groups, lobby groups, campaign units, conference/networking platforms and funding foundations are listed in alphabetical order for you to research and form your own opinion.
The Atlas Network claimed to have Australian partners on their website in 2020. However, the page has been taken down. Those organisations are highlighted in blue.
Some of the listed organisations are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and are therefore free from having to disclose their donors. They may also be free from paying certain taxes, and their donors’ donations are tax deductible in some cases.
Charity Status Index
GST – Goods & Services Tax Concession
FBT – Fringe Benefit Tax Rebate
ITE – Income Tax Exemption
DGR – Deductible Gift Recipient
(Sub 243 Walker) references are from Submission No. 243 by Dr Jeremy Walker to the Senate Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy 2025.
** Added since first published
Advance Australia – campaigns include against The Voice, Welcome to country ceremonies, The Greens, immigration, net zero emissions targets, and date change for Australia Day. Funded by the Cormack Foundation – Liberal Party funding foundation (SBS). Spinoff – Green Truth (see below)
**Aligned Council of Australia – Partners of Australian Recreation Union
Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) – an international research and conference organiser based in the UK. The ARC Advisory board includes Australians Amanda Stoker, Andrew Hastie, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, John Anderson, John Howard and Tony Abbott. See Aspire Conference below.
Aspire Conference – Presented by Freedom, Opportunity and Responsibility Movement Australia (FORM). Inspired by the success of the UK’s ARC – see above.
Australian Climate Science Coalition – Australian Environment Foundation spinoff, climate change sceptics (Sourcewatch) GST, FBT, ITE, DGR
Australian Digital Holdings and Newsmax Australia – media companies founded by Atlas veteran, Maurice Newman, and shock jock, Alan Jones with money from James Packer (page 62 Sub 243 Walker)
Australian Environment Foundation – Institute of Public Affairs climate denial spinoff – see below (page 16, 55 Sub 243 Walker) GST, FBT, ITE, DGR
Australian Institute for Progress – based in Brisbane. Claimed by the Atlas Network to be a partner in 2020
Australian Libertarian Society – hosts the Friedman Conferences with Australian Taxpayers Alliance – see below. (page 50 Sub 243 Walker)
**Australian Medical Professionals Society has been described as one of several “ fake unions” established to contest covid health measures such as mandatory vaccination. (Pearls and Irritations)
**Australian Recreation Union – offshoot of NSW Shooters Union – issue restricted Game Licences (The Guardian)
Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance – Claimed by the Atlas Network to be a partner in 2020. Hosts the Friedman Conferences with the Australian Libertarian Society
Australians for Better Government – President Steven Tripp, also vice president of Let’s Rethink Renewables, convenor of NREN’s Energy and Environment ‘community forums’ featuring Atlas figures (page 61 Sub 243 Walker)
Australians for Prosperity – for nuclear power, funded by Coal Australia (page 47 Sub 243 Walker)
Australians for Science and Freedom – Director Prof Gigi Forster wrote for the Institute of Public Affairs – More Harm Than Good and the Australian Institute for Progress against Covid lockdowns. Forster is a Senior Scholar at US Brownstone Institute – anit-vaccines and climate denier institute. (DeSmog)
Carbon Sense Coalition – fellow Atlas organisation (page 39 Sub 243 Walker) possibly defunct
Centre for Independent Studies – based in Sydney. Claimed by the Atlas Network to be a partner in 2020. Founded by Santos in 1976. GST, FBT, ITE, DGR
**Childcare Choice – co-founders previously worked for Liberal MPs, and they have several other connections to the Liberal Party. The Childcare Choice campaign is not an Australians for Prosperity campaign, but is aligned with the values of the group. See also For Parents (ABC News)
CO2 Coalition– science deniers affiliated with Atlas Network (page 39 Sub 243 Walker)
Coal Australia– membership organisation promoting Australian coal, big donor to Australian Institute of Progress and Australians for Prosperity (page 47 Sub 243 Walker)
Coalition for Conservation – founded to promote action on climate change within the Coalition. Matt Kean quit his role as ambassador in April 2024 saying it had become obsessed with promoting nuclear power and it sought to delay the rollout of renewables. (Renew Economy). GST, FBT, ITE
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Network Australia – holds an annual conservative conference with speakers associated with Atlas.
Conservatives for Conservation – Advance donor (page 67 Sub 243 Walker)
Cormack Foundation – Liberal Party funding foundation. Funds Advance, the Institute of Public Affairs and the Centre for Independent Studies (page 36 Sub 243 Walker) Liberal party investment vehicle donated $500,000 to rightwing group Advance (The Guardian)
**Energy for Australians ran anti-Labor adverts during the 2025 federal election and was funded by Coal Australia (The Guardian)
Evolve: because being right isn’t enough– Advance’s first Conference 20-21 February 2026 in Sydney. There can be no social cohesion while divisive groups like Advance aim to smear hate against some Australians (The Guardian).
**For Parents – co-founders previously worked for Liberal MPs, and they have several other connections to the Liberal Party. See also Childcare Choice (ABC News)
Galileo Movement – climate deniers including Senator Malcolm Roberts (SourceWatch) (page 39-40 Sub 243 Walker). Galileo Movement fuels climate change divide in Australia (Scientific American 2011)
Greens Truth – Disinformation about The Greens – Advance Australia spinoff
H.R. Nicholls Society – industrial relations reform, anti-Labor, recently revitalised to stalk union labour (page 55 Sub 243 Walker)
Institute for Private Enterprise – Melbourne, Institute of Public Affairs spinoff (page 40 Sub 243 Walker) (SourceWatch)
Institute of Public Affairs – based in Melbourne. Claimed by the Atlas Network to be a partner in 2020 GST, FBT, ITE, DGR
Lavoisier Group – anti-science climate disinformation. Atlas Network spinoff recirculating articles by ‘sceptical scientists’ invariably affiliated with Atlas thinktanks (page 27, 39 Sub 243 Walker)
Let’s Rethink Renewables– Claim to represent ‘locals’ and ‘community values’, without any actual locals or community members being named on the website (page 63 Sub 243 Walker). See Australians for Better Government above.
Libertarian Party – Partners of Australian Recreation Union
LibertyWorks – Claimed by the Atlas Network to be a partner in 2020. Organisers of the Conservative Political Action Conferences (CPAC)
Mannkal Economic Education Foundation –based in Perth. Claimed by the Atlas Network to be a partner in 2020 GST, ITE, DGR
National Rational Energy Network– connects all campaigns of Australian Atlas Network thinktanks and associated entities against renewables energy rollout from 2023 to the present (page 60 Sub 243 Walker).
No Offshore Turbines – against the Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (page 58 Sub 243 Walker)
Project Eureka – Advance spinoff, ‘a continuous campaigning entity to target young people and to shape the political narrative outside of election cycles’ (ABC 2026)
Rainforest Reserves Australia – opposing land-based solar, wind and battery projects. Originally a legitimate, voluntary conservation NGO in far north Queensland. During or after its successful battle to stop the proposed Chalumbin wind farm, it was captured by fossil fuel interests and incorporated into the wider Atlas Network (page 61, 63 Sub 243 Walker). In February 2026 it was wound up after incurring significant legal fees (Financial Review). ITE, DGR
Responsible Future Illawarra – against the Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (page 58 Sub 243 Walker)
**Revive Australia – new right-wing political group in 2026 (Crikey)
Rule of Law Education Centre – inaugural Atlas Network board member, Hugh Morgan, joined David Lowy and Centre for Independent Studies Academic adviser, Prof. Geoffrey De Quincy Walker, on the governing board (page 42 Sub 243 Walker) GST, FBT, ITE, DGR
Saltbush Club – ‘Loves carbon dioxide’, ‘Knows climate changes’, science denial. Founding members of Australian Atlas Network’s fossil/mining corporate funders include Hugh Morgan and Gina Rinehart (page 61 Sub 243 Walker).
Samuel Griffiths Society – focus on constitutional law. Conservative opinion columnist with The Australian, Janet Albrechtsen, is an ex-director of the Institute of Public Affairs (see above) and a member of the Mont Pelerin Society and the Samuel Griffiths Society (page 27, 36, 55 Sub 243 Walker). DGR
Stop Gillard’s Carbon Tax– Australian Taxpayers Alliance spinoff. A wide Coalition of groups opposed to this destructive and unnecessary tax, Menzies House project to reel in Gillard’s carbon tax (page 39 Sub 243 Walker)
Stop Labor’s Towers –The Western Victorian Community Alliance against high-voltage transmission projects. Claim to represent ‘locals’ and ‘community values’, without any actual locals or community members being named on the website (page 63 Sub 243 Walker).
Stop These Things – anti-windfarm rage generator – owner Alan Moran, ex-Rio Tinto public affairs manager, director Institute of Public Affairs, Heartland Institute US (page 25, 56 Sub 243 Walker)
**Topham Guerin – global influence agency – PR firm responsible for ‘ute tax to end the weekend’ and other disinformation campaigns
Whitestone Strategic – conservative campaign consultancy linked to Advance (The Guardian)
Commonwealth funded party thinktanks
Each party receives a Commonwealth funding grant for policy research
Labor Party – Chifley Research Centre DGR
Liberal Party – Menzies Research Centre DGR
National Party – Page Research Centre ITE, DGR
The Greens – The Green Institute ITE, DGR