environment Australia
Climate Council warns mine expansions can avoid stricter emissions limits
4.5Mtonnes CO2/year
Additional annual CO2 emissions by 2035 if expansions are not treated like new mines
The Climate Council says coal and gas mine expansions can be treated as existing facilities under Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism, allowing higher emissions than new projects. It called for best-practice emissions limits to apply to expansions as well as new facilities.
1 sourceabc.net.auUpdated
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AllegedThe Climate Council says mine expansions can avoid the stricter emissions limits applied to new coal and gas facilities.
“Coal and gas mines are using what the Climate Council warns is a "loophole" to expand operations and add new emissions while avoiding stricter laws imposed on new coal and gas projects.”
- 4.5Mtonnes CO2/year
AllegedAdditional annual CO2 emissions by 2035 if expansions are not treated like new mines
“it will cause an additional 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2035”
- 200facilities
Facilities covered by Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism
“Coal and gas mines are among the roughly 200 facilities covered by the Safeguard Mechanism”