Australia’s High Court on Wednesday ruled in a major coal mine expansion case
that a local planning authority failed to properly consider measures to limit
greenhouse gas emissions. A lower court had found scope 3 emissions from
customers burning the coal would account for about 98% of the project’s
potential pollution. The decision will directly affect New South Wales coal mine
approvals and could serve as a precedent for similar projects nationwide;
Roughly 30 new or expanded coal projects are seeking government sign-off.
Australia’s coal export sector is about A$70 billion (US$49 billion); miners
warn approval delays could hit jobs and damage Australia’s standing as an energy
supplier.
