Nuclear For Australia calls out nuclear misinformation in information integrity submission

Nuclear for Australia made a submission to the Senate Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy, setting out the misinformation and disinformation about nuclear energy during the 2025 federal election and three recommendations to improve information integrity.

Read the submission

Key findings:

• The World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Risk Report ranks misinformation and disinformation as the most severe short-term global risk, above extreme weather events and state-based conflicts.
• During the 2025 federal election, false claims about the cost, safety, effectiveness and time to develop nuclear power were spread through TV, radio, print, digital and social media advertising.
• Nuclear for Australia's analysis of publicly available data suggests more than $3 million was spent on anti-nuclear advertising between 1 January 2024 and May 2025, a highly conservative estimate.
• Examples of misinformation included claims nuclear would take 20+ years (ANSTO advice based on the IAEA Milestones approach says 10-15 years), that nuclear uses three times more water than coal, and that Australian plants were at risk from earthquakes.
• Recommendation 1: The Committee should support increased literacy about energy technologies, in particular nuclear energy.
• Recommendation 2: The Committee should recommend requirements for truth in political advertising, either legislatively or via an independent code of conduct.
• Recommendation 3: The Committee should recommend Australia rejoin the Generation IV International Forum.

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