During the summit, held at NSW Parliament House, Greens MP Lee Rhiannon announced an anti-coal campaign that would focus on the Newcastle coal loader and the Anvil Hill coal mine and include a series of actions in the Hunter, Western, Gunnedah and Southern coal fields of New South Wales.
Other attendees at the summit included Greenpeace, the Wilderness Society and the Nature Conservation Council.
Rhiannon said the environmental groups would launch a campaign of lobbying, rallies and peaceful protests to galvanise public support.
NSW Minerals Council chief executive Dr Nikki Williams said the summit and campaign announcement by Rhiannon was another example of the “political symbolism” which clutters debate on the important issue of climate change.
“Climate change solutions require leadership and collaboration between industry, governments and the research community,” Williams said.
“Instead, the NSW Greens have taken the lead in the race toward irrelevance, reverting to a familiar rallying cry to shut down an industry which employs tens of thousands, and commits many hundreds of millions towards genuine solutions.
“There is widespread acceptance that fossil fuels will continue to provide for the vast majority of global energy needs well into the future. Likewise, there is widespread acceptance that clean coal technology will play a critical role in addressing climate change.”
Williams said the coal industry is committed to the demonstration of technologies which will allow the international community to satisfy its growing energy demands, whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“Concern over climate change is not the exclusive domain of the NSW Greens or environmental lobby groups,” she said.
