This is despite the Australian coal industry's record in producing high quality coal and despite the overwhelming facts by independent sources about Australia's emission control performance. 

  

New South Wales has an aspirational target of zero carbon emissions by 2050.

 

However, that's not good enough for NSW Greens spokesman Jeremy Buckingham.

He said "that's a long way off and there is no credible plan or policy mechanism to reach that goal and no sense of commitment from the state government".

 

NSW Energy Minister Don Harwin's decision to vote with Tasmania and South Australia against a motion at the Council of Australian Governments Energy Council for a national emissions reduction scheme for the electricity sector had left NSW exposed, according to Buckingham.

 

He should read the key Australian findings of the 2018 edition of the Capgemini World Energy Markets Observatory report.

 

Australia's emissions have increased in the past three years and the momentum will continue until 2030, the report states. Regardless of this, Australia is on track to meet its 2020 and 2030 targets.

 

Emissions in 2030 are projected to grow by 3.5% above 2020 levels mostly driven by transport and agriculture sectors while other sectors are projected to stabilise or grow slowly in the post 2020 period. Despite the continuous rise in emissions, Australia is on track to achieve its 2030 emissions reduction target of 5% below 2000 levels, the report states.

 

Buckingham also objected to federal resources minister Matt Canavan visiting and endorsing Whitehaven Coal's proposed Vickery expansion project in NSW.

 

If approved the mine would operate over the next 30 years, producing 950 new jobs in the region.

 

Buckingham said Canavan "should not ignore the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that warned the world must quit coal by 2050 and avoid tapping the vast majority fossil fuels or risk catastrophic levels of climate change.

 

"Minister Matthew Canavan and the federal government can't keep pushing their outdated, pro-mining agenda on communities like Boggabri and the Upper Hunter.

 

"There should be no new coal mines or coal mine expansions in an era of worsening climate change, especially with the impacts of climate change so evident in the impacts of this severe drought. It is negligent and irresponsible for the Minister to allow the Vickery coal mine proposal to proceed."

 

Hogsback reckons that people like Buckingham should do their homework on the global coal export market and how Australia's coal stacks up against our Asian neighbours. If he did, he would find that Australia's role as the world's biggest coal exporter was earned because of the top quality of its product.

 

Using Australian low ash coal with few impurities is a far better outcome for the environment that some of the alternatives.