New research from The Australia Institute shows that the New South Wales Government’s attempts to force planners to ignore the carbon emissions of the state’s coal exports contradicts NSW climate policy, the Paris Agreement, corporate expectations and economic opportunities for growth.

Key findings

• NSW coal emissions are bigger than direct emissions from France and the UK, almost as big as Australia’s, and nearly four times bigger than direct emissions from NSW itself.
• Stopping consideration of downstream emissions contradicts NSW climate policy and the spirit of the Paris Agreement.
• Despite the NSW Mineral Council’s claims to the contrary, the Independent Planning Committee is legally bound to consider “downstream emissions”.

“With the state ravaged by unprecedented bushfires, it beggars belief that the NSW government would look to reduce consideration of climate change in planning decisions,” says Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute.

“Under pressure from the coal industry the NSW government is going in the wrong direction, trying to limit how independent planning decisions can deal with NSW’s main source of climate impacts, like the fires that have ravaged the state.

“If the NSW Government caves to the mining lobby and changes planning rules to favour them, Australia’s already tarnished reputation will suffer along with the climate.

“The contradictions between NSW climate and coal mining policy are best resolved with a moratorium on new coal mines, delivering certainty for clean investment and economic growth for the state.”

The full report, ‘Enough Scope’, is available here