A land court in Australia’s Queensland state has warned against moving forward with a new thermal coal project, Waratah Coal, owned by mining tycoon Clive Palmer on the grounds that its emissions will affect human rights and contribute to climate change.
According to reports, Waratah Coal applied for a mining lease and environmental permits to produce 40 million tonnes of thermal coal annually in the state’s Galilee Basin, a new coal region opened up by the development of Adani’s controversial Carmichael thermal coal mine last year.
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However, given the mine’s anticipated lifetime emissions and a shrinking global carbon budget, Judge Fleur Kingham found that the mine would provide intolerable hazards to the residents of the state.
“Ultimately, I have decided to recommend both applications are refused,” Kingham wrote in her ruling. “I have decided that the climate scenario consistent with a viable mine risks unacceptable climate change impacts to Queensland people and property, even taking into account the economic and social benefits of the Project,” she added.
However, the state’s minister of resources has the final say.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
