New fossil fuel projects in Australia 2023
Authors
Media releases
Safeguard Deal Caps & Cuts Pollution Despite No Ban: Hard Choices for Govt. on Gas & Coal
116 New Fossil Fuel Projects = 4.8b Tonnes of Pollution, 24x Safeguard Cuts
Selected media impact
Australia’s 116 new coal, oil and gas projects equate to 215 new coal power stations
Australia Institute research suggests potential scope of new fossil fuel projects allowed under Safeguard Mechanism
There are 116 new fossil fuel projects on the Federal Government’s annual Resource & Energy Major Project list, two more than at the end of 2021. If all proceed as estimated, they will add 4.8 billion tonnes of emissions to the atmosphere by 2030.
The proposed Safeguard Mechanism would reduce emissions from these projects by just 86 million tonnes—less than 2% of the total emissions. Worse, the Safeguard Mechanism would provide legitimacy to new fossil fuel projects, weakening state imposed conditions and making the projects’ development more likely.