Australia’s coal mining emissions paradox

Australia's coal industry reports a record low in fugitive emissions despite a 170% increase in production from 1990 to 2022. This paradox is attributed to the closure of gassier underground mines and a shift toward non-verified, site-specific estimation methods for open-cut mining, which may mask the true scale of emissions.

• Between 1990 and 2022, Australia's coal production grew by 170%, increasing from 201 to 542 million tonnes, while fugitive emissions only increased by 0.17% and emissions intensity decreased by 63%.
• The reported decline in emissions is linked to the closure of gassier underground mines and a transition in open-cut mining reporting from state-led regulatory averages to non-verified individualised estimates.
• The gap between production growth and emissions reporting has widened over time; open-cut mining grew twice as fast as reported fugitive emissions between 1990 and 2022, and more than three times faster since 2005.

APA

Ember (2025). Australia’s coal mining emissions paradox. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/australias-coal-mining-emissions-paradox

Chicago

Ember. Australia’s coal mining emissions paradox. 2025. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/australias-coal-mining-emissions-paradox.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Australia’s coal mining emissions paradox |date=27 March 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/australias-coal-mining-emissions-paradox |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2025australias, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Australia’s coal mining emissions paradox}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/australias-coal-mining-emissions-paradox}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }