Coal Mining Expansion ‘IRRECONCILABLE’ with NSW Emissions Targets, Government Agency Warns – But Premier Refuses to Pull the Plug
- The NSW government’s Net Zero Commission has dealt a devastating blow to the state’s coal mining industry, declaring expansions ‘incompatible’ with emissions reduction targets.
- Premier Chris Minns has sparked outrage by refusing to halt project approvals, despite the agency’s dire warning, citing the industry’s crucial role in the state economy.
- Climate advocates are hailing the report as a ‘game-changer’ for NSW’s climate politics, while the coal mining industry has slammed the findings as a ‘flawed and superficial analysis’.
- The report’s stark warning comes as the state grapples with the looming threat of climate change, with 87 per cent of NSW’s coal being exported and contributing to emissions overseas.
In a bombshell report, the NSW government’s Net Zero Commission has sounded the death knell for the state’s coal mining industry, declaring that any further expansions would be ‘incompatible’ with emissions reduction targets.
The agency’s findings have sparked a furious backlash from the coal mining industry, with the NSW Minerals Council slamming the report as a ‘flawed and superficial analysis’ that risks thousands of mining jobs.
But Premier Chris Minns has sparked outrage by refusing to halt project approvals, despite the agency’s dire warning. ‘We’re not going to make that ruling, and I’m not going to make that promise,’ he said.
‘I’ve said from the very beginning … mining, particularly in the Hunter [region], is still important for the New South Wales economy, it’s our single biggest export.’
Climate advocates, however, are hailing the report as a ‘game-changer’ for NSW’s climate politics. ‘It’s a very serious moment. It’s a real rock in the pond for climate politics in NSW,’ said Nic Clyde from activist group Lock the Gate.
‘It really does require an urgent response from the government.’
The report’s stark warning comes as the state grapples with the looming threat of climate change. With 37 operating coal mines and 17 expansion or extension projects in the pipeline, the agency warned that approving these projects would significantly increase emissions.
The commission found that the existing process for determining the approval of mine extensions failed to robustly address emissions implications, and recommended that consent authorities be required to consider the impact of indirect emissions.
As the state struggles to balance its economic and environmental obligations, the fate of NSW’s coal mining industry hangs precariously in the balance.