A letter from cartoonists Cathy Wilcox and David Pope: "A number of our colleagues have decided to boycott the Walkley Awards this year in protest at the Walkleys ongoing partnership with fossil fuel company Ampol. We support their stand. We are sad to see the country’s premier awards for journalism caught in this conflict, but as a recent report from the Climate Council clearly spells out, the fossil fuel industry uses its sponsorship of our sporting teams and cultural events to build a social license and distract attention from its role in heating the planet and delaying the transition to renewable energy. We understand that given the Walkleys historical links to Ampol and its founder William Walkley untying this sponsorship is not instantly achieved. However at this time, with what we know about fossil fuel’s direct impact on the climate, and the power of greenwashing through sponsorship of popular cultural events, we believe it is vital for the Walkleys of today to break the bond. We call on the Walkley Foundation and its Board to commit to divesting its fossil fuel sponsorship, by signing the Fossil Fuel Free Sponsorship Pledge and adopting the voluntary Code recently launched by the Climate Council, in partnership with 350.org and other environmental organisations. The Pledge commits organisations to a clear pathway out of existing sponsorship arrangements and refusing new ones."
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