The Paris Agreement desperately needs to be updated. Currently the big exporters take no responsibility for the emissions created when those fossil fuels are burned overseas.
Many Asian nations are shunning fossil fuels, presenting a huge opportunity for Australia's renewables sector. And one massive project has stepped up to the plate.
In happier times: Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing in 2018.
Mark Schiefelbein/AAP
Llewelyn Hughes, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
The Japanese government will retire its fleet of old, inefficient coal-fired generation by 2030. If Japan's commitment to coal weakens, our exports can expect a big hit.
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.
The market reaction to the “ban” was telling, underscoring the problem of being so reliant on a single client.
Shutterstock
The 'thin green line' of resistance against any new infrastructure for shipping oil, gas and coal abroad has won many battles. But it faces a new source of pressure: the Trump administration.
Chinese President Xi Jinping may be the only person able to rein in North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, Michael Dinneen
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said his government's 2030 climate target will be good for the environment and jobs – and good for protecting the nation's coal industry.
The latest coal mine approved in Australia is destined for exports.
eyeweed/Flickr
Experts respond to the recently-approved Shenhua Watermark coal mine.
While many people in India live without electricity, it is looking less likely that Australian coal will supply it.
Environmental Change and Security Program/Flickr
"India needs Australian coal" is a view promoted by government and industry alike. But is there really a case for Australian coal in India? The evidence suggests not.
The MV Shen Neng I spills oil onto the Great Barrier Reef in 2010. Large accidents are rare, but there is still very little monitoring of long-term chronic damage from shipping.
AAP Image/AMSA
Port traffic near the Great Barrier Reef will more than double by 2025, as coal and other exports grow. While major incidents are rare, the chronic toll on the reef itself still remains largely unknown.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most magnificent wonders of our world.
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
With the United Nations set to decide on whether to list the Great Barrier Reef as officially in danger, we look at the various threats to the reef's survival, starting with the biggie... climate change.
What happens to coal in China will play a big role in deciding which climate road we’re all on.
Han Jun Zeng/Flickr
As climate negotiators meet at the United Nations’ Lima summit, which comes hot on the heels of the landmark US-China climate deal, there is a renewed focus on how the world can move to a lower-emissions…
Australia’s official forecasts for expanding fossil fuel exports don’t match up with what’s needed to avoid severe climate change.
Jeremy Buckingham/Flickr
In the last week the US and China announced goals to reduce emissions by 26-28% and cap emissions by 2030 respectively. India also signalled its aim to end coal imports within 2-3 years. These are telling…
Australian coal needs to find some new customers.
Stephen Codrington/Wikimedia Commons
China’s recent move to limit imports of the dirtiest coal from 2015 onwards is a scary prospect for Australian miners. The proposed restrictions will ban the burning of coal with high levels of ash or…
The Mount Thorley Warkworth mine in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales produces coal for both electricity and steel-making.
Lock the Gate Alliance/Flickr
At the recent midyear UN climate negotiations in Bonn, an unprecedented 60 countries (including Germany) called for a total phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050, as part of a global agreement on climate change…
Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Discipline of Politics & International Relations, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University