The outline of the government’s climate policy is now clear, even if some detail remains to be filled in. It will involve an overall increase in Australia’s total greenhouse emissions as it looks to take advantage of continuing use of fossil fuels — and coal in particular.
Documents leaked to Greenpeace from the International Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) process to determine options to reduce emissions show the Morrison government’s strategy for preparing for more concerted international action on emissions abatement. During the drafting stage of the report, officials from Angus Taylor’s Department of Industry have:
- opposed a recommendation to phase out coal-fired power stations
- pushed for the IPCC to support carbon capture and storage (CCS)
- supported Saudi Arabia’s efforts to block reference to phasing out fossil fuel power
- demanded Australia be removed from the list of the world’s biggest users and producers of coal
- tried to remove IPCC references to fossil fuel companies blocking climate action.
Along with the decision to spend at least $3 billion on a coal haulage rail line to Gladstone, and Environment Minister Sussan Ley’s now-routine approval of coal mine expansions, the strategy of Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce now seems clear. The government will elevate carbon capture and storage as a high priority carbon abatement method — despite its complete failure as a viable technology — in order to justify an increase in Australia’s coal exports, which will be subsidised by taxpayers via the loss-making inland rail line and its extension to Gladstone.
The emissions from coal exported to other countries — Scope 3 emissions — are not counted against Australia’s overall emissions. This will enable Morrison and Joyce to pursue an overall increase in emissions produced by Australia — including from the use of our coal in other countries — while still claiming to be working toward “net zero”.
The IPCC report is a threat to that strategy if it calls for the phase out of coal-fired power stations, which may lead to the shutdown of coal-fired power stations by Australia’s coal customers, or does not back discredited CCS technology in order to justify the continued burning of coal.
Significantly, Australia’s demand that it not be on the list of major coal producers also points to an awareness by Taylor and Morrison of the tension between pretending to support net zero by 2050 and actively pushing higher coal exports. Being named as a major coal producer will be a reminder to the international community that whatever the government might say, it is determined to push up total greenhouse emissions by continuing to support coal.
The government’s hostility to it being pointed out that fossil fuel companies have dictated climate policy in Australia points to another sensitivity — that it’s become clear internationally how fossil fuel donors to the Liberals and Nationals control and often literally draft energy policy.
The strategy also underlines just what a farce and a pantomime the last fortnight of debate over the Nationals’ position on net zero really is: the Coalition is united on a plan to sell more coal and gas and pump more CO2 into the atmosphere, for the benefit of donors and allies like Santos, Woodside, Origin, Whitehaven Coal, Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart.
The 2050 net zero target isn’t even a too-little-too-late ticket to get into Glasgow. It’s a distraction from the real agenda of more fossil fuels.
what I find interesting is that they want to make the mining of coal more mechanized by the use of robotics and yet they are saying they want to keep and make more jobs in that industry in the mean time the use of coal being used to make power is being fazed out by most industrial nations. They defy logic if it is not taken into account on who’s pockets are being lined.
So is the government gaslighting fossil fuel workers? Seems likely there are many, many more jobs to be had in the renewable and carbon absorption industries than they’ll have in the automated fossil fuel industries – including mining.
There’ll be zero in the carbon absorption “industry”.
Yes it is quite clear, no matter the announcements and rhetoric, Coalition climate policy is one of continuing global warming. Not just in reducing the speed with which Australia transitions away from fossil fuels but in continuing to supply and increase supply to overseas emitters. And in the foreign policy realm working hard to sabotage and undermine international actions aiming to slow or stop global warming. In this the Australian state is both a lobbyist and subsidiser of fossil fuels. It always has been but much more so under the Coalition.
To me the argument of whether coal mining and gas extraction will be happening in the mid 2030’s and beyond is a fraud on the citizens of this country in particular the people in the country. When big business around the globe drives the move off carbon based energy sources and onto renewables, the carbon energy resources will become redundant.The momentum of change will be like an avalanche with these companies becoming extinct assets overnight.
Anyone who thinks there is any life with Carbon Capture is delusional it just does and will not work.
Shedloads of jobs in rehabilitating coal mine sites, in construction of wind and solar farms on a fraction of various mine sites and in using the rest of the rehabilitated mine sites for forestry – the original and best carbon capture and storage.
Ah, but this govt is allowing cheating in the rehabilitation of coal mine sites, so don’t count too many jobs there.
Do any of these jobs you mention pay upwards of $150,000+ per year? If not, the current crop of coal/other miners are NOT interested! It’s all about the money ya know!! (Sarcasm)
We had Camille Smith in the comments the other day rabbiting on about people who are unwilling to work for lower wages. I guess she’s going to discover a whole lot more.
Yes, reality strikes when your ‘skill set’ becomes obsolete.
There’s plenty of unemployed people willing to do the work if the miners don’t.
The Coalition has form in environmental vandalism. Let’s not forget their not-so-secret ploy to keep the Great Barrier Reef off UNESCO’s endangered list.
Members of the Coalition should be aware that their children – but more so the grandchildren – will inevitably resent their irresponsible & reckless efforts to pollute the planet.
One would hope so, zut alors. However, bear in mind that there is also a good chance that they will acquire their moral compass / form their values, by seeing how their parents act. Only if the Coalition MPs get their cumuppance next year, and are thrown out of their parliamentary seats, will we see if their children / grandchildren behave differently
I meant long term ie: in 30 years when Australia is sizzling in summer to the point that many people are dying from heat exhaustion. When bushfires are almost too terrible to attempt extinguishing. Or in 50 years when the grandchildren are middle-aged & living a physically uncomfortable existence due to weather extremes. They will not be speaking well of their ancestors.