Commenting on the NSW Independent Planning Commission's approval of a 19-year extension to the Hunter Valley Operations coal mine, which will now require federal approval ahead of the Australia-led global climate summit in Türkiye in November, Australian Conservation Foundation CEO Adam Bandt said:
"To credibly lead global climate negotiations next month, the Albanese government must reject this massive new Hunter Valley coal mine now.
"If this coal mine extension goes ahead it will release more than 800 million tonnes of climate pollution into the atmosphere, fuelling more intense heatwaves, worse bushfires and longer droughts.
"In the wake of the Nepal disaster, a disturbingly hot start to spring and reports the world will breach 1.5 degrees of warming, it is alarming that the Albanese government is continuing to approve the very same coal and gas mines that are driving this extreme weather and threatening our way of life.
"With COP31 and the pre-COP meeting in Fiji looming, the Albanese government has a chance to take real action of climate change by rejecting the biggest coal mine extension in NSW history.
"As President of Negotiations at next week's pre-COP climate meeting in Fiji the Australian government will face a critical test of its credibility on climate change, with Pacific leaders calling on Australia to stop expansion of coal and gas and rapidly transition away from fossil fuels."
The federal government has already approved 37 new coal and gas projects and there are another 42 potential projects on the books.
