Australia Lists 116 Fossil Projects In Pipeline, W. Capacity For Another 1.7 Billion Tons GHGs/Year
Australia has more than 100 fossil fuel developments in the pipeline that could result in nearly 1.7bn tonnes of greenhouse gases a year – equivalent to about 5% of global industrial emissions – if all were to go ahead, an analysis says. The Australian government lists 116 major coal and gas projects under development, each valued at more than A$50m and with the potential to reach a final investment decision in the next five years. Not all will be built, but a new report says it is an indication of the fossil fuel development that continues in Australia, including with taxpayer support, despite the Morrison government committing to net zero emissions by 2050.
Launching a plan for the country to reach the target last week ahead of the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said the government would “not shut down our coal or gas production”. The plan said the country’s fossil fuel export industries would continue “through to 2050 and beyond, supporting jobs and regional communities”. Angus Taylor, the emissions reduction minister, has also promised to use Cop26 to promote Australia as a safe and reliable place to invest in gas and hydrogen.
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The government’s 2050 net zero emissions plan has been criticised for not including new policies and relying on new technology to make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in the 2030s and 40s. It says it is committing $20bn over a decade to help lower the cost of some technologies. Most of the spending is a continuation of long-standing funding for clean energy agencies.
The government has backed carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology – burying greenhouse gases from industrial sites kilometres underground – to extend their life, and committed $250m to a “CCS technologies and hubs” program. Australian governments have previously committed about $4bn in funding for CCS, but it has failed to prove commercially viable. The country has one operating CCS plant, at Chevron’s Gorgon gas development in Western Australia. It has suffered delays and operational problems, and captures only a portion of the emissions at the site.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/03/australia-considering-more-than-100-fossil-fuel-projects-that-could-produce-5-of-global-industrial-emissions