Australia approves first coal mine in a year, despite climate concerns
COAL & MINING

Australia approves first coal mine in a year, despite climate concerns

Australia's centre-left Labor government has approved a new coal mine for the first time since it won power a year ago, sparking an angry reaction from environmental groups. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government has authorised Bowen Coking Coal's Isaac River mine project in Queensland to extract metallurgical coal for making steel.

The mine is relatively small in scale, but it is the first new coal mine to be given the go-ahead by the government, which won many voters over by promising to slash planet-warming carbon emissions after a decade of Australian foot-dragging on climate action.

A spokesperson for Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said that the government had to make decisions in accordance with the facts and the national environment law. She said that the government had doubled renewable energy approvals to a record high since the election, and that it would continue to consider each project on a case-by-case basis under the law.

The Australian Conservation Foundation criticised the decision, saying that it ignored climate science. The foundation's climate expert Gavan McFadzean said that the world's climate scientists had all been clear for years that we must immediately stop digging up and burning coal if we want a safe climate. He said that wherever in the world our coal and gas is burnt, it makes climate damage in Australia worse.

Bowen Coking Coal welcomed the decision, saying that it was there to meet the growing demand for energy and steelmaking coal.

Australia's economy is fuelled by mining and coal exports, and it is among the world's biggest emitters of carbon dioxide per capita.

Heavy storms in 2022 caused catastrophic floods on Australia's east coast, in which more than 20 people died.

The "Black Summer" bushfires of 2019-2020 burned more than eight million hectares of native vegetation, while marine heatwaves caused mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017 and 2020.

Also Read
Mineral production index for mining sector rose 4.6% to 129 in Feb
Metals recycling firm Runaya sees revenues doubling in FY24

Australia's centre-left Labor government has approved a new coal mine for the first time since it won power a year ago, sparking an angry reaction from environmental groups. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government has authorised Bowen Coking Coal's Isaac River mine project in Queensland to extract metallurgical coal for making steel. The mine is relatively small in scale, but it is the first new coal mine to be given the go-ahead by the government, which won many voters over by promising to slash planet-warming carbon emissions after a decade of Australian foot-dragging on climate action. A spokesperson for Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said that the government had to make decisions in accordance with the facts and the national environment law. She said that the government had doubled renewable energy approvals to a record high since the election, and that it would continue to consider each project on a case-by-case basis under the law. The Australian Conservation Foundation criticised the decision, saying that it ignored climate science. The foundation's climate expert Gavan McFadzean said that the world's climate scientists had all been clear for years that we must immediately stop digging up and burning coal if we want a safe climate. He said that wherever in the world our coal and gas is burnt, it makes climate damage in Australia worse. Bowen Coking Coal welcomed the decision, saying that it was there to meet the growing demand for energy and steelmaking coal. Australia's economy is fuelled by mining and coal exports, and it is among the world's biggest emitters of carbon dioxide per capita. Heavy storms in 2022 caused catastrophic floods on Australia's east coast, in which more than 20 people died. The Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 burned more than eight million hectares of native vegetation, while marine heatwaves caused mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017 and 2020. Also Read Mineral production index for mining sector rose 4.6% to 129 in Feb Metals recycling firm Runaya sees revenues doubling in FY24

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

NHAI Set to Launch Green Bonds Valued at Rs 10 billion

Reiterating its commitment to promote environment sustainability and development of green highways, National Highways Authority of India’s fully owned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) ‘DME Development (DMEDL) will issue green bonds to raise funds for the implementation of environment friendly measures on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project. To be held under closed bidding system, the aggregate total size of the issue will be up to Rs10 billion with a base issue size of Rs 5 billion. There will be a green-shoe option to retain oversubscription up to Rs 5 billion. The first of its kind green bond i..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Govt may Offer 35% Subsidy for Goods Transport via Inland Waterways

To enhance the transportation of goods through rivers, which currently constitutes only 2 per cent of India’s total freight movement, the government is planning to introduce a three-year subsidy scheme for cargo owners opting for inland waterways. Under the proposed initiative, a 35 per cent subsidy for transportation on national waterways 1, 2, and 16 is expected to shift around 800 million tonne-kilometres (tkm) of cargo to inland waterways, as per the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. (Tkm measures cargo transportation by multiplying the metric tonnes of goods by the distance ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

NDMC to Install 139 Eco-Friendly Rainwater Harvesting Pits in Delhi

To conserve rainwater, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has finalized a plan to construct 139 modular water harvesting pits, with work expected to begin soon. According to NDMC Vice-Chairman Kuljeet Chahal, 95 of these pits will be built by the road division, while the remaining 44 will be handled by the building department. He explained that the tendering process for the project has already been completed, and construction can commence shortly. Chahal highlighted that these pits are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, require minimal maintenance, and can be constructed quickly. ..

Hi There!

"Now get regular updates from CW Magazine on WhatsApp!

Join the CW WhatsApp channel for the latest news, industry events, expert insights, and project updates from the construction and infrastructure industry.

Click the link below to join"

+91 81086 03000