Inside Spin/When Corporations Want to Cuddle

When Corporations Want to Cuddle is a chapter from Bob Burton's book on the Australian PR industry, Inside Spin: The Dark Underbelly of the PR Industry. This chapter reviews the PR strategy of seeking to encourage non-government organisations to collaborate with companies and government agencies embroiled in controversy. This chapter focuses on the activities of the environmental group WWF and its national affiliates especially in Australia and New Zealand.

Some of the case studies include:

• the role of WWF Australia, WWF New Zealand and WWF US in the disastrous accreditation of the New Zealand hoki fishery;
• the role of WWF in Australia, the US and Papua New Guinea with the ill-fated Kikori 'eco-forestry' experiment that in part sourced timber from the illegal logging of mangroves and they handled a damning internal report that blew the whistle on the operation;
• WWF Australia's collaboration with the Tasmanian logging industry to undermine the advocacy efforts of local environmentalists;
• how a a little courting of WWF Australia by a major uranium mining company, guided by its PR firm, paid off handsomely; WWF Australia's CEO Greg Bourne endorsed both uranium mining and nuclear power even though WWF International's policy opposed nuclear power. After a backlash against its pro-nuclear advocacy, Tim Flannery, an academic and author who had been drawn into WWF's orbit, became a nuclear enthusiast before he too backtracked.

Chapter References

• 1 Peter Sandman, interview with author, December 2005.
• 2 P. Sandman, "Goals for Dealing with Activist Groups", 1998, accessed January 2007.
• 3 P. Sandman, interview with author, October 1998.
• 4 P. Sandman, OUTRAGE Prediction & Management: Reference Manual, Qest Consulting Engineers, 1998, p. 23.
• 5 P. Sandman, interview with author, October 1998.
• 6 H. Burson, "The Next Steps in Going Global: Offices in Asia and Australia", August 2003, accessed November 2006.
• 7 G. David and P. Beresford, "BR gives sell-off signals; Government plans to privatise British Rail", The Sunday Times (UK), 22 May 1988.
• 8 G. Bourne, "Demonstrate Net Social, Environmental and Economic Benefits or Lose the Social Licence to Operate", Presentation to Minerals Council of Australia’s Sustainable Development Conference, Alice Springs, 1 November 2005.
• 9 WWF Australia, "How we work", undated, accessed June 2006.
• 10 B. May, D. Leadbitter, M. Sutton and M. Weber, "The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): Background, Rationale and Challenges" in B. Phillips, T. Ward and C. Chaffee (eds), Eco-labelling in Fisheries: What is it all about?, Blackwell Publishing, 2003, p. 17.
• 11 S. Heap, NGOs Engaging with Business: A World of Difference and Difference to the World, Intrac, Oxford, 2000, p. 133.
• 12 B. May, D. Leadbitter, M. Sutton and M. Weber, "The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)", p. 32.
• 13 WWF Australia, Annual Report 2000, p. 14.
• 14 J. Breese, email to C. Martin, 5 February 2001.
• 15 Marine Stewardship Council, "New Zealand Hoki Fishery Certified to Marine Stewardship Council Standard", media release, 15 March 2001, accessed June 2006.
• 16 ibid. 289
• 17 WWF New Zealand, "WWF Responds To Global Eco-Label Approval Of New Zealand Hoki Fishery", media release, 15 March 2001.
• 18 Unilever, Listening, Learning, Making Progress: 2002 Social Review of 2001 Data, p. 25.
• 19 Sandford Limited, "Environmental Sustainability", Triple Bottom Line Report 2001/2002, p. 6.
• 20 P. Manning and S. Keen, "Green fair", Ethical Investor, September 2002, p. 15.
• 21 Marine Stewardship Council, New Zealand Hoki Fishery—independent panel decision, 16 December 2002, p. 6.
• 22 K. Short, "The WWF Perspective" in B. Phillips, T. Ward and C. Chaffee (eds), Eco-labelling in Fisheries: What is it all about?, Blackwell Publishing, 2003, p. 160.
• 23 C. Howe, interview with author, September 2006.
• 24 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, "News for Business: Self-declared environmental marketing claims", 30 April 1999, accessed July 2006.
• 25 J. Breese, "letter to A. Hilbrands", SGS Product & Process Certification, 8 February 2006, accessed June 2006.
• 26 WWF Australia, Report 2006, p. 9, accessed April 2007.
• 27 S. Highleyman, A. Mathews Amos and H. Cauley, An Independent Assessment of the Marine Stewardship Council: Draft Report (unpublished), Wildhavens, 15 January 2004.
• 28 WWF, An assessment of Kikori Pacific Limited’s financial position, internal report, p. 5.
• 29 "WWF linked to illegal logging", Channel 4 News (UK), 22 February 2001.
• 30 A. Neville (Head of Press & Campaigns), "WWF Position Statement on Channel Four's piece regarding Kikori Pacific Limited", March 2000.
• 31 A. Rowell, "No way to save trees", Sydney Morning Herald, 2 March 2001.
• 32 R. Purves, "Eco-forestry the only real alternative", Sydney Morning Herald, 5 March 2001.
• 33 B. Carbarle, "Illegal Logging, WWF, The World Bank and PNG", email, 13 March 2001.
• 34 ibid.
• 35 "British Environment and Media Awards", 25 October 2001, accessed July 2006.
• 36 R. Blakers, interview with author, December 2006. Groups such as WWF have also been dubbed BINGOS: ‘Big International Non-Government Organisations’; see "Bingos", New Internationalist, October 2005, accessed January 2007.
• 37 R. Purves, President WWF, "Where do the Environmental NGOs stand as the environment goes mainstream?", speech to the Environment Business Australia Sustainability Summit, 19 November 2004, accessed November 2006.
• 38 R. Ashton (ed.) and WWF, Tarkine, Allen & Unwin, October 2004.
• 39 "WWF accused of pandering to Government", ABC News, 3 August 2004, accessed January 2007.
• 40 Wilderness Photographers for Conservation, ‘Letter from Major Photographic Contributors to WWF's Book on the Tarkine Wilderness (unpublished), August 2004; A. Darby, "Photographers oppose green group forest plan", The Age, 9 September 2004, accessed November 2006.
• 41 WWF Australia, TyCo=FAD06 "Third Party Return of Electoral Expenditure for the election held on 9 October 2004", 24 January 2005, accessed January 2007; WWF Australia, "Third Party Return of Donations received for the election held on 9 October 2004", 24 January 2005, accessed January 2007.
• 42 Timber Jobs Won't Be Risked", The Age, 6 October 2004; "I'll protect forests but jobs come first: PM", Sydney Morning Herald, 6 October 2004, accessed March 2007.
• 43 R. Purves, Where do the Environmental NGOs stand as the environment goes mainstream?", speech to the Environment Business Australia Sustainability Summit, 19 November 2004, accessed March 2007.
• 44 B. Burton, "WWF Signs $1.2M Partnership with Rio Tinto", Mining Monitor, March 2000, pp. 9–10.
• 45 G. Espiner, "Fears over business links", Sunday Star Times, 8 October 2000, p. 6.
• 46 G. Espiner, "WWF has links with oil company", Sunday Star Times, 8 October 2000, p.1.
• 47 World Wide Fund for Nature/Placer Dome Asia Pacific, Mining Certification Evaluation Project: Independent Certification of Environmental and Social Performance in the Mining Sector, WWF Australia Resource Conservation Program Mineral Resources Unit, January 2001.
• 48 United Nations Environment Programme, Accident Prevention in Mining: Environmental regulation for accident prevention: Tailings and chemicals management; Summary report, Perth, 26–27 October 2000, p. 20.
• 49 Cyanide Code Steering Committee, ‘Minutes of 4th meeting, 23 July 2001, held in Vancouver BC’, p. 5.
• 50 A. Bravos et al., letter to F. Balkau (unpublished), 3 December 2001.
• 51 H. Barnes et al., letter to F. Balkau (unpublished), 10 January 2002.
• 52 B. Burton, "Industry enlists WWF to back cyanide code", Mining Monitor, April 2002, pp. 910.
• 53 "Michael Rae: Chief Executive Officer", Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices, cited at <>, accessed January 2007.
• 54 A. Parker, Presentation to ‘The Future of Public Affairs’, 2005 National Public Affairs Convention, 7 September 2005.
• 55 A. Parker, interview with author, April 2007.
• 56 G. Bourne, "2005 Annual Hawke Lecture", The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, 9 November 2005, accessed January 2007.
• 57 A. Hodge, "Green group accepts uranium mines", The Australian, 4 May 2006.
• 58 A. Hodge, "WWF boss to push N-power at meeting", The Australian, 9 May 2006.
• 59 T. Flannery, The Weather Makers, Text, Melbourne, 2005, p. 273.
• 60 T. Flannery, interview with author, October 2006.
• 61 C. McGrath, "Howard faces stiff opposition in nuclear debate", ‘PM’, ABC Radio National, 7 June 2006, accessed November 2006.
• 62 J. Lovelock, "We need nuclear power, says the man who inspired the Greens", Daily Telegraph (London), 15 August 2001, accessed April 2007.
• 63 In a 1973 article in Nature magazine, Lovelock claimed, much to his later regret, that "the presence of these compounds [CFCs] constitutes no conceivable hazard". See J. Gribbin, The Hole in the Sky—Man's Threat to the Ozone Layer, Corgi, 1988, pp. 40–41. Not surprisingly, Lovelock was a darling of the chemical industry, which was trying to fend off a mandatory phase out of CFCs. Lovelock appeared before a US Congressional committee hearing as, he later wrote, "the principal witness for the industry’s defence". See J. Lovelock, Homage to Gaia, Oxford University Press, 2000 p. 220. The above material is cited in "James Lovelock", NuclearSpin, accessed January 2007.
• 64 T. Flannery, ‘Nukes’, Good Weekend, 5 August 2006, p. 22.
• 65 T. Flannery, interview with author, October 2006.
• 66 K. O’Brien, "Campaigner attacks nuclear inquiry’s credibility", ‘7.30 Report’, ABC TV, 3 July 2006, cited at <>, accessed May 2007.
• 67 T. Flannery, ‘Nukes’, Good Weekend, 5 August 2006, p. 23.
• 68 K. O’Brien, "Tim Flannery announced Australian of the Year", ‘7.30 Report’, ABC TV, 25 January 2007, accessed June 2007.
• 69 J. Scruggs, "The 'Echo Chamber' Approach to Advocacy", Philip Morris, Bates No. 2078707451/7452, 18 December 1998.
• 70 R. Purves, President WWF, "Where do the Environmental NGOs stand as the environment goes mainstream?", Speech to the Environment Business Australia Sustainability Summit, 19 November 2004, accessed January 2007.