Professor Jeremy Moss at UNSW Climate Justice Project warns that the NSW mining industry's coal-led COVID-19 recovery proposal would increase greenhouse gas emissions by levels greater than the combined 2018 emissions of Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
The NSW Minerals Council (NSWMC) has recommended new coal projects as part of a state COVID-19 recovery plan. Its recent report, Mining for the Recovery, identifies 32 projects in various stages of approval, 21 of which are coal projects.
"To put this in perspective, if these are approved and developed, it will be like adding an extra seven years of Australia's annual domestic emissions total for 2019, or the emissions equivalent to another 175 million Australians for a year," Professor Moss says.
The report's optimism about coal is in stark contrast to the Australian Energy Market Operator report released at the same time, according to Professor Moss. It says that up to 90% of energy demand may be met by renewables by 2035. He says it also ignores a bleak future for exported thermal coal, and the significant environmental impacts these mines may have.
"Most glaringly, the NSWMC report ignores the significant increase from this level of new coal mines to Australia's already huge contribution to climate change. Australia's exported emissions are already double annual domestic emissions," Professor Moss says.
"NSW does not need 21 new coal mines to help it recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19. What the state does need is a plan that can help the state's economy, workers and communities transition away from fossil to new low-carbon industries that will be sustainable in the future."
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