Opinion: Isaac River coal mine approval inconsistent with government climate policy
Australians are already living with the consequences of climate inaction, so the Albanese government’s approval of a new mine in central Qld is a massive blow, writes Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie.
Opinion
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Late last Thursday, under cover of the federal budget week, federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek quietly gave provisional approval to the new Isaac River coal mine in central Queensland, the first since the Labor government came to power.
How can this possibly be consistent with the government’s commitment to Australia tackling climate change and becoming a clean energy superpower? This mine will fuel global warming, leading to more extreme heat, fires and damage to iconic Queensland treasures like the Great Barrier Reef. The Albanese government promised us they’d be better than this.
The government’s decision glaringly contradicts the global scientific consensus.
The International Energy Agency says there can be no new investments in coal, oil or gas projects if the global energy sector is to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and help avoid catastrophic climate change.
We’re already living in an age of consequences from climate inaction, with communities in Australia and worldwide suffering devastating losses. But the future is still in our hands, and we can still tackle climate change and build a more sustainable world.
Which is why decisions like this come as such a blow. Each approval is a ticking time bomb, threatening to further accelerate the global warming we so desperately need to curb.
Picture our koalas and quokkas struggling in hostile habitats, and the Great Barrier Reef’s corals deteriorating due to bleaching. These current, real consequences stem from such decisions.
It’s baffling that despite last year’s plea from a group of Australia’s leading scientists urging her to consider the significant risk these projects hold, Minister Plibersek has chosen to disregard their expert advice.
We urge the Albanese government to heed the advice of experts. They can reverse a decade of environmental decline and climate inaction.
This is their moment.
The Albanese government, having improved our 2030 climate target and pledged to speed up energy transformation and reduce transport emissions, undermines these steps with coal mine approvals. You can’t put a fire out by adding more and more coal.
The fate of our way of life, our communities, our unique flora and fauna are all at stake. It’s time for change. It’s time for action. Anything less is unacceptable.
Originally published as Opinion: Isaac River coal mine approval inconsistent with government climate policy
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