Australia top court rules against coal mine expansion, citing climate harm

What the report says

Australia’s High Court has blocked a planned expansion of the Mount Pleasant coal mine in New South Wales, ruling that planning authorities had not properly accounted for greenhouse gas emissions and the need to minimise them as far as practicable. According to Al Jazeera, three of the court’s five judges found the proposal could not proceed under the way it had been assessed.

The case was brought by retired teachers Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan, who had challenged the project for years. They argued that approving more coal production would contribute to climate change and its impacts. The ruling was welcomed by campaigners, who said it could shape how fossil fuel projects are considered in Australia by requiring decision-makers to weigh climate harm more directly.

The Mount Pleasant expansion, proposed by operator Mach Energy, aimed to extend the mine’s life into 2048 and nearly double annual output. The company, owned by Droxford International, a subsidiary of Indonesia’s Salim Group, had said coal exported and burned overseas could not be clearly tied to local environmental effects. The expansion had earlier won approval from the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission.

Al Jazeera reported that the decision is being viewed by supporters as an important climate-law precedent in a country that is among the world’s largest exporters of coal and liquefied natural gas. Mach Energy said it was disappointed and would explore its options.