(Image: Eric Lobbecke)

After identifying our worst corporate climate culprits, it’s time to look at which individuals are our worst offenders when it comes to climate denialism and inaction.

As with corporations, there are different criteria for judging which individuals play the most damaging role in responding to climate change.

Politicians clearly have a strong role in setting policy. Chairs of large fossil-fuel corporations don’t merely preside over high emissions, but control the level of political influence their companies wield to undermine climate action.

Influential media proprietors can shape public debate and political reactions. Weighing who is the worst culprit may always be a judgment call, but here’s Crikey’s list of the worst of the worst.

Clive Palmer

A major driver of the expansion of Australian emissions via coal exploration and exports, Palmer helped former PM Tony Abbott overturn Labor’s successful, low-impact carbon pricing scheme. Palmer graduated from being a massive LNP donor to funding his own party and running hard against Labor and its commitment to stronger climate action at the 2019 election.

Uniquely the source of growing emissions, political power and capacity to influence public debate, Palmer is the nation’s worst climate culprit.

Scott Morrison

A serial liar about the government’s climate policies — the most common topic of Morrison’s lies is climate action — who has sought to actively undermine international agreements relating to climate, Morrison has ensured a continuation of a decade of climate inaction and energy policy chaos, actively deterring investment in renewables while encouraging coal and gas-fired power (to the benefit of his political donors and former employers of his own staff).

Bonus points for pretending to be moving towards meaningful climate action.

Rupert Murdoch

Future generations will identify the Murdoch family and those who work for it as a key reason for the failure to prevent significant climate change in the first quarter of the 21st century.

The right-wing media oligarch has consistently supported climate denialism and backed climate denialist politicians, and his outlets have campaigned hard against, and lied about, any serious climate action. His influence in Australia, where his companies dominate the media, is particularly toxic.

Tomorrow: the next three biggest offenders on our list of climate culprits…