Two mining companies that argue they shouldn't have to offset greenhouse gas emissions could be ordered to only export coal from their mine to Paris Agreement signatories.
A company that earlier this year had a proposal for an open-cut coal mine refused partly on climate change grounds has decided not to appeal the decision.
NSW Environment Court Chief Judge Brian Preston today refused consent for a mine, saying the greenhouse gas emissions from extracting and burning its coal are unacceptable.
The Queensland Land Court has recommended the State Government approve Adani's Carmichael coal mine, but only if it improves its water monitoring and "controls or regulates" threats to an endangered bird species.
The Queensland Supreme Court today rejected a challenge to a Land Court decision that paved the way for GVK Hancock's Alpha coal mine to clear state approval hurdles.
Queensland's Supreme Court will for the first time rule on whether the state's Environmental Protection Act obliges the environment department to consider emissions from coal burning, in a dispute over approval of Hancock Coal's Alpha mine.
Xstrata Coal Qld has failed to secure a Land Court order that Friends of the Earth pay legal costs incurred by the company while it fought the environment group's unsuccessful challenge to mining leases and approvals for the proposed Wandoan coal mine.
Xstrata's Ulan Coal has lost an important legal costs battle, with the NSW Land and Environment Court rejecting its argument that an activist group had acted unreasonably in seeking to overturn or modify approval for the mine's expansion due to increased greenhouse gas emissions.
An Xstrata coal mine and the NSW Government have successfully relied on the looming carbon price scheme to argue against environment group demands that approval conditions should require the mine to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
In line with tribunal orders, EPA Victoria has released expert witness statements that it and Dual Gas will rely on in a legal dispute over the validity of the works approval granted for a gasified coal power plant.