What happened
Australia's High Court has rejected plans for a 22-year extension of a major coal mine in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. The court found that the company, MACH Energy, did not properly consider the impact of emissions from the coal being burned offshore. The decision was made with a 3-2 majority verdict.
The High Court ruled that the NSW Independent Planning Commission's approval of the mine extension in 2022 was invalid because it did not consider scope 3 emissions, which are indirect emissions that occur when the coal is burned offshore. These emissions make up almost all of the project's emissions.
The court's decision is a win for a local community group that opposed the project. MACH Energy has stated that it accepts the decision but will pursue all available options to ensure the long-term continuity of the mine.
The NSW Labor government has said that the decision does not impact a separate approval for the mine to run until 2032. The government also stated that the recent approval of another coal mine project included detailed consideration of scope 3 emissions and conditions to minimize them.
