Research // Fossil Fuel Mining
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July 2020
Submission to NT Econ Reconstruction Commission
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Northern Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission, highlighting research on fiscal stimulus design and the minimal stimulus that would be created from government subsidisation or other assistance to the fossil gas industry.
Dirty Big Secret: Financial performance of fossil fuel companies
Fossil fuels were the worst performing sector in the ASX 300 over the last decade. $100 invested in the fossil fuel dominated S&P ASX 300 Energy index in 2010 was worth just $104 by January 2020, dropping to $51 with COVID. $100 in the wider market peaked at $237, falling to $169 with COVID. Excluding
June 2020
Getting off coal: Economic and social policies to manage the phase-out of thermal coal in Australia
The evidence of a climate emergency is now undeniable. Any coherent response requires a rapid phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation. That also implies an immediate halt to new thermal coal mines and a gradual closure of existing thermal coal mines. Successful implementation of such a policy requires a strong and concrete commitment to facilitating employment
May 2020
Fracking and slacking
April 2020
Emissions from Onshore Gas in Victoria
The Victorian Government has decided to allow onshore gas mining based on an internal report that claims minimal climate impacts. However the report ignores up to 88% of greenhouse emissions from new onshore gas mining, appearing to ignore emissions from burning the gas.
February 2020
Enough Scope
Coal mined in NSW causes more emissions than the UK or France and nearly four times more than directly emitted from NSW itself. NSW climate policy aims for net zero emissions by 2050. Yet in the midst of a bushfire crisis, under coal lobby pressure, the NSW Government seeks to abolish the legal requirement to
November 2019
Polling – Great Australian Bight (November 2019)
New research from The Australia Institute has found that, for the first time, more than four in five South Australians (84%) support World Heritage Protection for the Great Australian Bight. That is a 7% increase, when compared to polling undertaken in March of 2019.
Submission: Australia’s oil and gas reserves
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Senate Economics References Committee’s inquiry into Australia’s oil and gas reserves. The submission highlights our existing research on Australia’s oil and gas and how they relate to the inquiry’s terms of reference. Update Read our second submission to the Senate Economics References Committee’s inquiry into Australia’s oil and
Norwegian cheque
If Norwegian company Equinor is given permission to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, it will likely pay the Norwegian Government more than it will pay in Australian Government taxes and up to 27 times more than they will pay to the South Australian Government, a new report from The Australia Institute has
October 2019
NSW Government must defend law and climate from coal industry attacks
The open letter signed by 47 experts co-ordinated and published by the Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program and complete list of signatories is reproduced in full below. View full media release here. An open letter to the Government of New South Wales Allowing new coal mines in NSW is incompatible with the NSW Government’s
Coal calling
New coal mine proposals in Tasmania appear to be aimed more at increasing the value of the company and extracting government subsidy than at developing a mine that could deliver value for the Tasmanian community.
September 2019
Monopoly money
Just to cap it off
Submission: Offset Upset
WA LNG projects are pushing up Australia’s emissions.
Submission to NSW IPC: United Wambo coal mine, scope 3 emissions
The Australia Institute welcomes the opportunity to comment on proposed conditions of the United Wambo coal mine project relating to climate change. The Independent Planning Commission is to be commended for raising the elephant in the room of Australia’s climate policy – our coal exports and the scope three emissions that they create. In the
August 2019
Oil in the Great Australian Bight – 2019
Norwegian oil company Equinor is planning exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the Great Australian Bight beginning in late 2020. Modelling commissioned by the oil and gas lobby shows that South Australia is unlikely to receive any noticeable benefit from tax payments as a result of oil and gas production in the Great Australian
High Carbon from a Land Down Under: Quantifying CO2 from Australia’s fossil fuel mining and exports
Australia is the world’s third biggest exporter and fifth biggest miner of fossil fuels by CO2 potential. Its exports are behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia, and far larger than Iraq, Venezuela and any country in the EU. Yet Australia’s economy is more diverse and less fossil fuel intensive than many other exporters. Australia has an opportunity and obligation to decarbonise its
Submission: Jemena pipeline
The Australia Institute made a submission on the Galilee Gas Pipeline proposed by Jemena. The Pipeline Project should be considered a controlled action under the EPBC Act as it would impact on matters of national environmental significance.
July 2019
Free coal contest Royalty subsidies to Queensland coal mines
As Queensland’s Government and Opposition compete to sweeten deals for the coal industry, open-cut coal mines in Queensland already get up to 17% of their coal for free compared with similar mines in NSW. At average export prices over the past decade, the benefit to Adani’s mine would have been $223 million and $1.3bn to
Submission: Interim Report on the Liquid Fuel Security Review
The Department of the Environment and Energy is conducting a Liquid Fuel Security review and public consultations on the Interim Report. This report is an edited version of The Australia Institute’s submission to that consultation. The Interim Report outlines significant risks to Australia’s transport energy security. Addressing these security risks requires reducing oil consumption and accelerating the transition to electric
Submission: PRRT Transfer pricing
The Australia Institute made a submission to Commonwealth Treasury’s Petroleum Resource Rent Tax Gas Transfer Pricing Review. Australians are being short changed by the LNG industry and the way it is taxed. A shift in the way the PRRT estimates transfer prices between a project’s upstream extraction and downstream liquefaction to ‘netback only’ pricing, could
Submission: Ulan coal modification 4
The Australia Institute made a submission on the proposed modification to the Ulan coal mine. Assessment of the proposal does not meet NSW guidelines and overstates potential benefits. It should be rejected on economic and climate grounds.
United Wambo Mine: Comments to the Independent Planning Commission
The Australia Institute made a submission to the NSW Independent Planning Commission’s May 2019 consideration of the United Wambo coal project. The latest assessment by Deloitte, commissioned by the mine proponents, confirms Australia Institute analysis that mine voids can be filled leaving a $139 million surplus, based on EIS figures. This submission follows from The
May 2019
What is stopping Adani
The Australia Institute released new research showing Adani is not “ready to go” with its Carmichael coal mine and there are a number of significant reasons why Adani is not ready to proceed with its mine. “One thing that can be said with certainty about the Adani coal mine is that whether it goes ahead
Leaked QRC research shows massive public distrust of mining industry in QLD
Documents obtained by the Australia Institute shows that mining is experiencing a crisis in public trust among Queenslanders, with coal mining particularly unfavourable. The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) commissioned polling company Ipsos to conduct this research on the industry’s reputation because it has observed a “decline in positive (public) sentiment” about the QLD resource sector, and can
Submission to AEMC: Northern Gas Pipeline – Derogation from Part 23
The Australia Institute made a submission on the AEMC’s draft determination on the Northern Gas Pipeline – Derogation from Part 23. The Northern Gas Pipeline from the NT was given special treatment outside the National Gas Rules. The exemption is problematic and based on an “anomaly”. It should be revoked for future pipelines, to prevent
Submission: Beetaloo Basin Drilling, Stimulation & Well Testing Program Environmental Management Plan
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Northern Territory Government’s consultation on Origin Energy’s Environment Management Plan for fracking petroleum wells in the Territory.
April 2019
Polling – SA Climate ambition
New research from The Australia Institute, released just weeks out from the Federal Election, shows that a majority of South Australian voters want the government to mobilise all of society, “like they mobilised everyone during the world wars”, to tackle global warming.