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An international investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has revealed that all of the Big Polluters around the world are employing thousands of lobbyists to pressure all governments to weaken climate change laws and slow progress on an international climate agreement.

In Australia, the 20 companies who have ‘won’ the most handouts from our government use 28 lobbying firms with more than 100 staff each. Many of them are insiders including: former politicians, political advisers or government officials.

America has almost 300 climate lobbyists, five for every member of Congress, an increase of more than 400 per cent over the past six years. Across the world Big Polluters and their lobbyists roll out the same old fear mongering about jobs, power blackouts and economic losses unless governments weaken commitments to combat climate change and let them continue to pollute for free.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists examined these guns for hire in the US, Canada, Australia, India, Japan, China, Belgium and Brazil.

Their investigation found that the Big Polluters in all countries are fighting cuts in pollution that most of us want to happen.

Only in America - the big bosses of coal and power companies have started a public campaign against reducing Greenhouse Gas Pollution. Curiously they call themselves - ''Friends of America”. These rallies are warning Americans, ''how environmental extremists and corporate America are both trying to destroy your jobs".

In Europe, meaningful targets to cut greenhouse emissions were watered down after lobbying by Big Polluters protesting they would face unfair competition from the developing world. As if we can’t afford to give the third world a break!

While lobbyists for clean energy and environmental groups are increasing their efforts the report found that their voice, ''can barely be heard above the clamour of the older, well-capitalised and deeply entrenched industries that have been lobbying on climate change for more than 20 years''.

Will this be another case of who has the most money wins?

Click here to visit the website of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalisits.

Image from The Age, article titled 'Browning down Australia'. Click here to see online version of the article.