Frank Jotzo, Australian National University and Mark Howden, Australian National University
The world is moving away fossil fuels, and there’s nothing Australia can do about it. Racing to dig up and sell whatever fossil fuels we can before the timer stops is not a future-proof strategy.
Richard Denniss, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Among modern Liberals it’s patently heresy to ask how rushing to green light 11 proposed coal mines in the Hunter Valley helps the struggling coal industry.
Queenslanders head to the polls tomorrow. The Palaszczuk Labor government has vocally backed the resources industry – but our research suggests the issue will not decide the election result.
Some coal workers have the right skills and work in the right location to get a job in renewables. But many, such as semi-skilled machine operators, cannot.
South Africa envisages the gradual closure of older coal plants, mostly located in Mpumalanga. Can these coal fields be turned into renewable energy hubs?
Labor leader Anthony Albanese will emphasise his party’s pro-business stance in a speech on Tuesday, departing from Bill Shorten’s criticism of the “top end of town”.
As coal companies look for ways to cut costs, many are reneging on their promises for health care for retired miners. Unless Congress intervenes, these miners could face ill health and poverty.
A NSW court’s decision to rule out a coalmine on the basis of climate change could signal a turning of the tide in an arena where environmental litigants have previously struggled to gain traction.
Making the transition to a sustainable energy future also means ensuring that affected communities - such as Australia’s coal workers - aren’t left by the wayside.