“The ambitious targets of the Paris Agreement are completely incompatible with opening up new fossil fuel projects. It’s absurd for Australia to give special privileges to a coal mine as the global agreement enters into force[1],” said Greenpeace Australia Pacific Reef Campaigner, Shani Tager.

“Paving the way for Australia’s largest coal mine just after the reef has suffered the worst coral bleaching in its history is indefensible.

“A project of this size, scale and controversy needs proper scrutiny, not to be pushed blindly through the approval process.

“The Queensland government is supposed to be protecting the reef, but instead it’s pushing through coal mines that will endanger it.”

 Despite the latest government support, the Carmichael project remains in financial disarray and faces legal challenges as well as a coal market in structural decline.

“This mine does not have any of the finances it needs to proceed. International investors have shunned Carmichael because funding it would be a major financial risk,” Ms Tager added.

The proposed mine would be 28,000 hectares and if it ever got to full production, the Carmichael coal mine would put 121m tonnes of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere each year.

NOTES

[1] The Sky’s Limit: Why the Paris Climate Goals Require a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production.http://priceofoil.org/2016/09/22/the-skys-limit-report/

“This is a welcome move from BP,  who should never have considered drilling for oil in such a pristine wilderness in the first place.

“This news will be especially welcomed by the local communities near the waters of the Great Australian Bight like First Nations peoples, tourism operators, oyster farmers and fishers who rely on it for their livelihoods.

“Malcolm Turnbull should now heed this signal from BP, stop further oil exploration in the Great Australian Bight for good, and protect this unique wilderness while he still can.

“Other companies such as Chevron, Bight Petroleum, Santos and Murphy are still eyeing the Great Australian Bight and have exploration permits. They should take the lead from BP, pack up their bags and go home.

“It’s clear that the age of oil is over, and that BP should cancel all frontier oil projects worldwide. It’s time for corporations like BP to steer clear of all extreme oil provinces as we transition away from fossil fuels forever.”

ENDS

Greenpeace’s ‘Exporting climate change, killing the Reef’ briefing comes as Australia’s World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef undergoes its worst coral bleaching in history, with almost the entire Reef experiencing some level of bleaching [1] due to warming waters, and as the country prepares to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change at the end of the week.

“The Australian Government wants us to believe it is proactive about climate change, but in reality it’s sending its emissions overseas through its coal exports,” said Shani Tager, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s climate and reef campaigner.

“Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter [2] and is avoiding responsibility for its contribution to global carbon emissions. By doing so, the Australian Government is ignoring the most serious threat to the Reef—climate change.

“This isn’t a future threat, it’s one that is playing out right now before our eyes, with coral bleaching on 93 percent of the Great Barrier Reef, and severe bleaching on the most pristine northern parts.

"The Australian Government cannot say it is safeguarding the health of the Reef when it is doing everything it can to avoid tackling the greatest threat it faces, which is coal-driven climate change,” said Ms Tager.

In addition to not reducing Australia’s domestic CO​2 ​emissions since 1990,  coal export volumes have more than tripled in the same period to 400 million tonnes per annum.

With every Australian tonne of coal emitting 2.5 tonnes of CO​2 on average wherever it is used, this means Australia’s CO​2​ exports through coal have increased by a massive 253% since ​1990, the Greenpeace briefing shows.

“Australia’s climate change response and its signature on the Paris Agreement simply won’t be credible as long as it sends more carbon emissions abroad than it saves at home, and pushes its coal exports.

“The future of the Great Barrier Reef is at stake. It’s time for the Australian Government to be ratifying the Paris Agreement and speeding up their response to climate change, including a commitment that no new coal mines be dug and for coal exports to be phased out,” she said.

ENDS

[1] “Only 7 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has avoided coral bleaching”, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, April 2016.

[2]Coal Medium-Term Market Report 2015, p.16, International Energy Agency.

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Nikola Casule, Greenpeace’s Climate campaigner said:

“Tahmoor’s closure is one of the strongest market signals yet that coal is on the way out, and it’s been sent by Glencore itself, the world’s largest coal exporting company.

“The Coalition and Labor parties should wake up to themselves and heed this searing reality check. There is simply no growth to be had from the coal market, where prices are collapsing globally and with no chance of recovery.

“That Glencore is closing this mine - rather its favoured practice of cutting staff and production - shows how little appetite there is to buy into the coal industry, let alone expand it.

“Not only that, this closure shows how little substance there is to traditional party claims there is still strong demand for metallurgical coal, which is used in steel making and is what Tahmoor produced.

“Worst of all, Glencore is failing to implement a transition plan for the 350 coal mine workers at Tahmoor, who will be left stranded by this closure.

“Both major parties are failing Australians by refusing to acknowledge they have a responsibility to create a transition plan for coal workers and by ignoring the potential for an economy based on renewable energy.”

ENDS

“Prime Minister Turnbull’s announcement fails to include any new money for the Great Barrier Reef. It doesn’t address climate change and the mining and burning of coal which are the biggest threats to the future of the reef.

“The money announced today has already been promised to renewable energy. Today’s announcement isn’t going to lead to any additional renewable energy projects being built and we know that for a healthy reef we need a rapid increase in new renewable projects being built and a phase out of coal mining.

“This is Turnbull trying to look like he’s doing something for the Great Barrier Reef while standing on the spot. This is simply not good enough when the reef is suffering from its worst coral bleaching in history.

“In addition to being home to thousands of fish and other marine life, the Great Barrier Reef supports almost 70,000 jobs in Queensland and it’s troubling that neither major party are prepared to take the necessary steps to protect this incredible place.”

Greenpeace Australia Pacific is calling on the parties to take to the election a credible plan to phase out coal mining and a just transition to sustainable jobs in technology and renewable energy.

The plaintiffs, Nature & Youth and Greenpeace Nordic, argue that Norway’s drilling plans violate the Paris Agreement and the people's constitutional right to a healthy and safe environment for future generations.

The legal action follows oil giant BP’s recent decision to drop plans to drill in another frontier area, the Great Australian Bight, after years of community opposition. Statoil, BP’s joint venture partner in the project and the central defendant in today’s lawsuit, also pulled out. 

Mirning elder and songman Bunna Lawrie, who spoke out about BP’s plans for the Bight, travelled from Australia to bear witness to the filing of the court case in Oslo.

“The Great Australian Bight, the place of the white whale Jeedara, is one of the greatest whale nurseries on the planet, and we need to defend it for future generations. We need to stand together as indigenous people from the Arctic to the Southern Hemisphere to defend our oceans,” said Bunna.

The lawsuit filed on 18 October demands that Norway uphold its constitutional guarantee for future generations as it is written in article 112 of Norway´s Constitution:

“Every person has the right to an environment that is conducive to health and to a natural environment whose productivity and diversity are maintained. Natural resources shall be managed on the basis of comprehensive long-term considerations which will safeguard this right for future generations as well. The authorities of the state shall take measures for the implementation of these principles”.

Norway was among the first countries to ratify the Paris Agreement, which is about to enter into force. By ratifying, Norway has promised to ambitiously reduce its emissions and help limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. 

At the same time Norway has opened up new oil licence rounds, allowing Statoil and other oil companies to start a major new exploration campaign in the Barents Sea, where they want to drill up to seven new exploratory wells in 2017.

“Signing an international climate agreement while throwing open the door to Arctic oil drilling is a dangerous act of hypocrisy. By allowing oil companies to drill in the Arctic, Norway risks undermining global efforts to address climate change. When the government fails to redress this we have to do what we can to stop it,” said Truls Gulowsenof Greenpeace Norway.

The lawsuit can be seen in the context of a wave of climate justice cases around the world, and has the backing of a broad civil society coalition, fronted by young environmentalists, and supported by scientists, indigenous leaders, activists and public figures.

While BP and Statoil have withdrawn from the Great Australian Bight, companies including Chevron - also a respondent in the Norwegian case - have yet to rule out their own plans. Greenpeace Australia Pacific is now calling for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to look to the Norwegian case and protect the Bight from further exploration.

“BP’s failed attempt to risk a marine area where 85% of species exist nowhere else on earth shows that the age of frontier oil exploration is over, but the oil companies haven’t yet got the memo,” said Greenpeace Australia Pacific Oceans Campaigner, Nathaniel Pelle.

“The Paris climate agreement means that new oil exploration cannot happen without surpassing 1.5 degrees of global warming. This court case shows that where governments won’t challenge oil companies’ threat to future generations, the people will.”

The 13 oil companies with new license blocks in the Barents Sea are: Statoil (Norway), Capricorn and Centrica (UK), Chevron and ConocoPhillips (USA), DEA (Germany), Aker BP (Norway), Idemitsu (Japan), LUKOIL (Russia), Lundin Petroleum (Sweden), OMV (Austria), PGNiG (Norway/ Poland), Tullow (UK / Africa). 

Link to press conference: https://www.savethearctic.org/en/peoplevsarcticoil/

Images and video available here: http://media.greenpeace.org/collection/27MZIFJJXOSY5

Link to the submission to the court: http://www.greenpeace.org/norway/Global/norway/Arktis/Dokumenter/2016/legal_writ_english_final_20161018.pdf

“This is a welcome move from BP,  who should never have considered drilling for oil in such a pristine wilderness in the first place.

“This news will be especially welcomed by the local communities near the waters of the Great Australian Bight like First Nations peoples, tourism operators, oyster farmers and fishers who rely on it for their livelihoods.

“Malcolm Turnbull should now heed this signal from BP, stop further oil exploration in the Great Australian Bight for good, and protect this unique wilderness while he still can.

“Other companies such as Chevron, Bight Petroleum, Santos and Murphy are still eyeing the Great Australian Bight and have exploration permits. They should take the lead from BP, pack up their bags and go home.

“It’s clear that the age of oil is over, and that BP should cancel all frontier oil projects worldwide. It’s time for corporations like BP to steer clear of all extreme oil provinces as we transition away from fossil fuels forever.”

ENDS

Greenpeace’s ‘Exporting climate change, killing the Reef’ briefing comes as Australia’s World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef undergoes its worst coral bleaching in history, with almost the entire Reef experiencing some level of bleaching [1] due to warming waters, and as the country prepares to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change at the end of the week.

“The Australian Government wants us to believe it is proactive about climate change, but in reality it’s sending its emissions overseas through its coal exports,” said Shani Tager, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s climate and reef campaigner.

“Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter [2] and is avoiding responsibility for its contribution to global carbon emissions. By doing so, the Australian Government is ignoring the most serious threat to the Reef—climate change.

“This isn’t a future threat, it’s one that is playing out right now before our eyes, with coral bleaching on 93 percent of the Great Barrier Reef, and severe bleaching on the most pristine northern parts.

"The Australian Government cannot say it is safeguarding the health of the Reef when it is doing everything it can to avoid tackling the greatest threat it faces, which is coal-driven climate change,” said Ms Tager.

In addition to not reducing Australia’s domestic CO​2 ​emissions since 1990,  coal export volumes have more than tripled in the same period to 400 million tonnes per annum.

With every Australian tonne of coal emitting 2.5 tonnes of CO​2 on average wherever it is used, this means Australia’s CO​2​ exports through coal have increased by a massive 253% since ​1990, the Greenpeace briefing shows.

“Australia’s climate change response and its signature on the Paris Agreement simply won’t be credible as long as it sends more carbon emissions abroad than it saves at home, and pushes its coal exports.

“The future of the Great Barrier Reef is at stake. It’s time for the Australian Government to be ratifying the Paris Agreement and speeding up their response to climate change, including a commitment that no new coal mines be dug and for coal exports to be phased out,” she said.

ENDS

[1] “Only 7 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has avoided coral bleaching”, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, April 2016.

[2]Coal Medium-Term Market Report 2015, p.16, International Energy Agency.

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Exporting Climate Change & Killing the Reef by Greenpeace Australia Pacific

“Calls to stop people who care about nature and the climate from getting to court are totally out of step with what Australians want, which is more action to tackle global warming and protect the places we love,” said Mr Ritter.

“There should be more access to justice for people who love nature and want to stop global warming, not less.”

Last week, UN Special Rapporteur Michel Forst said he was “astounded” to observe government attacks on environmentalists and other civil society groups in what he termed “a seeming attempt to discredit, intimidate and discourage them from their legitimate work” [1].

“This ‘lawfare’ call is exactly what the UN Special Rapporteur was talking about. The Turnbull Government is attacking nature groups because it is beholden to the coal lobby, which has an ongoing campaign to undermine Australia’s civil society. The Senate can and should protect the right of NGOs to seek transparency and accountability from the government over its actions.

“It is totally appropriate for environmental groups to use court processes to challenge development approvals. The courts have well developed processes and are perfectly capable now of dealing with anyone who isn’t legitimate.

“The real issue here is the Turnbull Government’s inability to meet its international obligations to tackle global warming - even as the Paris Agreement comes into force next month - and to protect our natural wonders, like the Great Barrier Reef.

“Global warming is the most urgent and profound challenge facing Australia and the world. We can’t afford to be distracted by the howls of protest from the coal industry and its friends over the end of the fossil fuel age.

“It’s time for the Coalition to get out of bed with the coal lobby and recognise that its actions now on global warming will affect future generations of Australians.

“Australia is being held to account by other nations because it is the world's largest exporter of coal. Australia’s contribution to global warming is significant and undeniable, and must be questioned at every turn,” said Mr Ritter.

[1] Australian Government must re-build trust of civil society, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, October 18, 2016.

ENDS

Nikola Casule, Greenpeace’s Climate campaigner said:

“Tahmoor’s closure is one of the strongest market signals yet that coal is on the way out, and it’s been sent by Glencore itself, the world’s largest coal exporting company.

“The Coalition and Labor parties should wake up to themselves and heed this searing reality check. There is simply no growth to be had from the coal market, where prices are collapsing globally and with no chance of recovery.

“That Glencore is closing this mine - rather its favoured practice of cutting staff and production - shows how little appetite there is to buy into the coal industry, let alone expand it.

“Not only that, this closure shows how little substance there is to traditional party claims there is still strong demand for metallurgical coal, which is used in steel making and is what Tahmoor produced.

“Worst of all, Glencore is failing to implement a transition plan for the 350 coal mine workers at Tahmoor, who will be left stranded by this closure.

“Both major parties are failing Australians by refusing to acknowledge they have a responsibility to create a transition plan for coal workers and by ignoring the potential for an economy based on renewable energy.”

ENDS

“Prime Minister Turnbull’s announcement fails to include any new money for the Great Barrier Reef. It doesn’t address climate change and the mining and burning of coal which are the biggest threats to the future of the reef.

“The money announced today has already been promised to renewable energy. Today’s announcement isn’t going to lead to any additional renewable energy projects being built and we know that for a healthy reef we need a rapid increase in new renewable projects being built and a phase out of coal mining.

“This is Turnbull trying to look like he’s doing something for the Great Barrier Reef while standing on the spot. This is simply not good enough when the reef is suffering from its worst coral bleaching in history.

“In addition to being home to thousands of fish and other marine life, the Great Barrier Reef supports almost 70,000 jobs in Queensland and it’s troubling that neither major party are prepared to take the necessary steps to protect this incredible place.”

Greenpeace Australia Pacific is calling on the parties to take to the election a credible plan to phase out coal mining and a just transition to sustainable jobs in technology and renewable energy.

Greenpeace’s ‘Exporting climate change, killing the Reef’ briefing comes as Australia’s World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef undergoes its worst coral bleaching in history, with almost the entire Reef experiencing some level of bleaching [1] due to warming waters, and as the country prepares to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change at the end of the week.

“The Australian Government wants us to believe it is proactive about climate change, but in reality it’s sending its emissions overseas through its coal exports,” said Shani Tager, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s climate and reef campaigner.

“Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter [2] and is avoiding responsibility for its contribution to global carbon emissions. By doing so, the Australian Government is ignoring the most serious threat to the Reef—climate change.

“This isn’t a future threat, it’s one that is playing out right now before our eyes, with coral bleaching on 93 percent of the Great Barrier Reef, and severe bleaching on the most pristine northern parts.

"The Australian Government cannot say it is safeguarding the health of the Reef when it is doing everything it can to avoid tackling the greatest threat it faces, which is coal-driven climate change,” said Ms Tager.

In addition to not reducing Australia’s domestic CO​2 ​emissions since 1990,  coal export volumes have more than tripled in the same period to 400 million tonnes per annum.

With every Australian tonne of coal emitting 2.5 tonnes of CO​2 on average wherever it is used, this means Australia’s CO​2​ exports through coal have increased by a massive 253% since ​1990, the Greenpeace briefing shows.

“Australia’s climate change response and its signature on the Paris Agreement simply won’t be credible as long as it sends more carbon emissions abroad than it saves at home, and pushes its coal exports.

“The future of the Great Barrier Reef is at stake. It’s time for the Australian Government to be ratifying the Paris Agreement and speeding up their response to climate change, including a commitment that no new coal mines be dug and for coal exports to be phased out,” she said.

ENDS

[1] “Only 7 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has avoided coral bleaching”, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, April 2016.

[2]Coal Medium-Term Market Report 2015, p.16, International Energy Agency.

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Exporting Climate Change & Killing the Reef by Greenpeace Australia Pacific

“This is a welcome move from BP,  who should never have considered drilling for oil in such a pristine wilderness in the first place.

“This news will be especially welcomed by the local communities near the waters of the Great Australian Bight like First Nations peoples, tourism operators, oyster farmers and fishers who rely on it for their livelihoods.

“Malcolm Turnbull should now heed this signal from BP, stop further oil exploration in the Great Australian Bight for good, and protect this unique wilderness while he still can.

“Other companies such as Chevron, Bight Petroleum, Santos and Murphy are still eyeing the Great Australian Bight and have exploration permits. They should take the lead from BP, pack up their bags and go home.

“It’s clear that the age of oil is over, and that BP should cancel all frontier oil projects worldwide. It’s time for corporations like BP to steer clear of all extreme oil provinces as we transition away from fossil fuels forever.”

ENDS

Greenpeace’s ‘Exporting climate change, killing the Reef’ briefing comes as Australia’s World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef undergoes its worst coral bleaching in history, with almost the entire Reef experiencing some level of bleaching [1] due to warming waters, and as the country prepares to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change at the end of the week.

“The Australian Government wants us to believe it is proactive about climate change, but in reality it’s sending its emissions overseas through its coal exports,” said Shani Tager, Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s climate and reef campaigner.

“Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter [2] and is avoiding responsibility for its contribution to global carbon emissions. By doing so, the Australian Government is ignoring the most serious threat to the Reef—climate change.

“This isn’t a future threat, it’s one that is playing out right now before our eyes, with coral bleaching on 93 percent of the Great Barrier Reef, and severe bleaching on the most pristine northern parts.

"The Australian Government cannot say it is safeguarding the health of the Reef when it is doing everything it can to avoid tackling the greatest threat it faces, which is coal-driven climate change,” said Ms Tager.

In addition to not reducing Australia’s domestic CO​2 ​emissions since 1990,  coal export volumes have more than tripled in the same period to 400 million tonnes per annum.

With every Australian tonne of coal emitting 2.5 tonnes of CO​2 on average wherever it is used, this means Australia’s CO​2​ exports through coal have increased by a massive 253% since ​1990, the Greenpeace briefing shows.

“Australia’s climate change response and its signature on the Paris Agreement simply won’t be credible as long as it sends more carbon emissions abroad than it saves at home, and pushes its coal exports.

“The future of the Great Barrier Reef is at stake. It’s time for the Australian Government to be ratifying the Paris Agreement and speeding up their response to climate change, including a commitment that no new coal mines be dug and for coal exports to be phased out,” she said.

ENDS

[1] “Only 7 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has avoided coral bleaching”, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, April 2016.

[2]Coal Medium-Term Market Report 2015, p.16, International Energy Agency.

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Exporting Climate Change & Killing the Reef by Greenpeace Australia Pacific

Sydney, 3 November 2015– Responding to the scheduled entry into force of the Paris climate agreement on 4 November 2015, Greenpeace Australia Pacific Chief Executive Officer David Ritter said:

“The Paris agreement is a historic milestone for nations working together to end the fossil fuel era and provide a path to a healthy future for our planet. But it needs to be followed with real and decisive action from our leaders - especially here in Australia.

“Signatures on a document are not enough. The targets in the agreement are very ambitious, and can only be met if the vast majority of Australian coal, oil and gas is left unmined and unburned.

“The question for Malcolm Turnbull is: Will we keep our promise to the world?”

On the Paris goal to reduce global emissions by 2030, Greenpeace International Executive Director, Jennifer Morgan, said: “If we miss this window because we’re stuck with weak national targets, it will quickly close and we’ll be left with big costs, big risks and big question marks. The only choice is to act now.”

Carbon emissions from the world’s existing operational fossil fuel reserves would already exceed the Paris agreement’s upper target of a 2 degree Celsius temperature increase limit, making any new fossil fuel projects in Australia or elsewhere entirely incompatible with global climate targets.*

*The Sky’s Limit: Why the Paris climate goals require a managed decline of fossil fuel production. Oil Change International. 22 September 2016. 

“This is a welcome move from BP,  who should never have considered drilling for oil in such a pristine wilderness in the first place.

“This news will be especially welcomed by the local communities near the waters of the Great Australian Bight like First Nations peoples, tourism operators, oyster farmers and fishers who rely on it for their livelihoods.

“Malcolm Turnbull should now heed this signal from BP, stop further oil exploration in the Great Australian Bight for good, and protect this unique wilderness while he still can.

“Other companies such as Chevron, Bight Petroleum, Santos and Murphy are still eyeing the Great Australian Bight and have exploration permits. They should take the lead from BP, pack up their bags and go home.

“It’s clear that the age of oil is over, and that BP should cancel all frontier oil projects worldwide. It’s time for corporations like BP to steer clear of all extreme oil provinces as we transition away from fossil fuels forever.”

ENDS

“While ratifying the Paris climate agreement is an important step in securing a healthy future for our planet,  Australia now has to make a huge climate U-turn and introduce ambitious climate policies to live up to the promise it has made to the rest of the world.

“There’s no way Australia can continue to approve new fossil fuel projects and keep the commitments it has just made.

“As the world’s largest exporter of coal, the world’s most dangerous fossil fuel, Australia’s first step to meeting this promise must be a ban on new coal mines.”

The potential carbon emissions from the world’s existing operational fossil fuel reserves would already exceed the Paris climate agreement upper target of a 2C temperature increase limit, making any new fossil fuel projects entirely incompatible with global climate targets. [1]

On the impact of the election of Donald Trump in the United States on the climate agreement, Ms Tager said:

“This ratification demonstrates that global progress in protecting our planet from the dangers of a hotter climate is not dependent upon a single person or a single nation.

“However it will be impossible to take the Australian government’s commitment seriously while it still politically and financially supports fossil fuel industries that endanger the planet.

“If Malcolm Turnbull can rise to the challenge, this will be the first step towards a future with clean air and water, a safe climate and a healthy Great Barrier Reef for all Australians.”

The Paris climate agreement was ratified yesterday by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. 

Greenpeace Australia Pacific climate campaigner Shani Tager said: “Ratifying the Paris climate agreement marks a new dawn for Australia’s commitment to a safe and healthy climate.

“By ratifying the agreement just hours after Donald Trump won the US election, Malcolm Turnbull has sent a strong signal that the global momentum to combat climate change will not be slowed down by those too short-sighted to see its importance.”

“The ambitious global targets that Australia now has to meet to keep our planet safe can only be accomplished by making a huge climate U-turn and banning new coal mines and upgrading Australia to clean and reliable renewable energy.

“This ratification will be meaningless unless there’s a substantial change in climate policy from the Turnbull government.” 

The potential carbon emissions from the world’s existing operational fossil fuel reserves would already exceed the Paris climate agreement upper target of a 2C temperature increase limit, making any new fossil fuel projects entirely incompatible with global climate targets. 

ENDS

“While the Great Barrier Reef is suffering from the impacts of mining and burning coal, now is the time to ensure Australia is assessing the damage caused by our coal and we strongly welcome this case,” said Greenpeace Australia Pacific reef campaigner Shani Tager.

In a previous appeal, the company argued that coal burned from the proposed mine would not increase global emissions and thus have no impact on climate change.

“Australia is responsible for the carbon emissions from our coal,” said Tager. “The government’s argument simply doesn’t pass the pub test – it doesn’t matter where it is burned, this coal will have the same impact on the climate and on the Great Barrier Reef.

“The Australian government has committed to global target to limit global warming to 2C and the Queensland Government has stated the importance of dealing with climate change for the future of the reef. The science is crystal clear – in order to do this more than 90% of coal has to stay in the ground.”

Australian coal exports will this year produce 1bn tonnes of CO2 – almost twice as much as the country’s domestic emissions. Australia’s CO2 exports through coal have increased by a massive 253% since 1990.[1]

Tager added: “We’re seeing the world move away from coal with Chinese and Indian coal imports continuing to drop. Now is the time for our governments to stop backing an industry with a shrinking market and disastrous consequences on our climate and Great Barrier Reef.”

“This is a welcome move from BP,  who should never have considered drilling for oil in such a pristine wilderness in the first place.

“This news will be especially welcomed by the local communities near the waters of the Great Australian Bight like First Nations peoples, tourism operators, oyster farmers and fishers who rely on it for their livelihoods.

“Malcolm Turnbull should now heed this signal from BP, stop further oil exploration in the Great Australian Bight for good, and protect this unique wilderness while he still can.

“Other companies such as Chevron, Bight Petroleum, Santos and Murphy are still eyeing the Great Australian Bight and have exploration permits. They should take the lead from BP, pack up their bags and go home.

“It’s clear that the age of oil is over, and that BP should cancel all frontier oil projects worldwide. It’s time for corporations like BP to steer clear of all extreme oil provinces as we transition away from fossil fuels forever.”

ENDS