One of Santos’ own directors queried the oil and gas producer’s use of the term “clean” in relation to natural gas and “blue” hydrogen when they would still result in carbon dioxide emissions, lawyers for an activist organisation have told the Federal Court.

The querying of the terms “clean”, “cleaner” and “decarbonisation” in Santos’ draft 2021 climate change report by then-director Peter Hearl exemplifies the argument that readers of Santos documents around that time have been misled by the oil and gas producer’s language, said Noel Hutley, SC, acting for the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility.