Australia has reaffirmed that it will not abandon coal production

Australia does not want to strengthen its short-term goals. On Monday, November 8, he said he would continue selling coal “Decades”, After rejecting a contract to phase out this polluting fossil fuel in order to control climate change.

Nearly 40 countries have pledged to run out of coal in the coming decades COP26 From Glasgow. Australia, like many major coal consuming countries such as China and the United States, has not signed the pledge.

Australian Resources Minister Keith Pitt told the ABC:

“We have made it clear that we will not close our coal mines or coal plants. “

Pitt, who supported Australia’s decision, said his country has the best quality coal in the world. “If we don’t win this deal, someone else will.”, He added. “I want it to be a high quality Australian product that creates Australian jobs and nurtures the Australian economy. [charbon] Comes from Indonesia, Russia or elsewhere “, The Minister promised to increase the demand for coal by 2030.

The government’s plan was criticized

Australia, one of the world’s largest producers of coal and natural gas, has experienced severe events in recent years, such as droughts, wildfires and floods exacerbated by climate change. The government of Scott Morrison was released on October 26th Carbon neutralization target by 2050, But the project was criticized for its lack of detail and it relied heavily on yet unknown technological innovations.

The Mineral Council of Australia, which represents major mining groups such as BHP and Rio Tinto, estimates that the 2050 goal can be achieved by investing heavily in technology. According to Pitt, nearly 300,000 Australian jobs depend on the coal industry. The Mineral Council of Australia, for its part, presents statistics on 50,000 direct jobs and 120,000 indirect jobs.

Large groups ensure the removal of highly polluting fossil fuels. In this regard, BHP announced on Monday that it had sold 80% of its stake in the metallurgical coal mine in the eastern state of Queensland to Stanmore Resources for at least US $ 1.2 billion (approximately $ 1). Billion euros).

Edgar Pasto, BHP’s Australian mining head, said in a statement:

“As the world becomes dicarbonized, BHP focuses on producing high-quality metallic coal, preferred by global steelmakers, to improve performance. [énergétique] And reduce emissions. “