Submission to the Climate Change Authority’s Issues Paper - May 2023 Ember’s recommendations for setting, tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets, with a focus on the measurement and mitigation of coal mine methane

Ember argues that Australia's coal mine methane emissions are significantly under-reported and that the current Safeguard Mechanism is insufficient to drive necessary reductions. The report recommends a 78% reduction in coal mine methane by 2030-2035, achieved through a combination of onsite mitigation and a phaseout of thermal coal mining. To support this, Ember urges the Climate Change Authority to implement a national methane action plan, establish a standalone methane reduction target in the next Nationally Determined Contribution, and overhaul the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) framework to replace generic emission factors with direct, site-specific measurements.

• Australia's coal mine methane emissions are estimated to be under-reported by 60% according to the IEA's 2023 Methane Tracker, potentially increasing their share of total greenhouse gas emissions from 5% to approximately 7%.
• Ember estimates that Australia could reduce its coal mine methane emissions by 78% by 2030-2035, which would equate to a 6% reduction in total reported greenhouse gas emissions (based on 2020 data) and an 18% reduction in total reported methane emissions.
• The current reporting framework under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (NGER) is described as outdated because it allows companies to use generic factors instead of direct measurement. Ember recommends phasing out 'Methods 1 and 2' for open cut mines and implementing direct, site-specific measurement standards.
• If all currently proposed new coal mines and expansions proceed, Australia's coal mine methane emissions could increase by up to 50% by 2030, which would undermine the integrity of the Safeguard Mechanism.
• A phaseout of thermal coal mining by 2030 is estimated to reduce Australia's coal mine methane emissions by nearly half.
• Ember asserts that the reformed Safeguard Mechanism is insufficient for driving methane reductions because it does not directly regulate or incentivise onsite methane emissions reduction in the coal sector.

APA

Reynolds, A. (2023). Submission to the Climate Change Authority’s Issues Paper - May 2023 Ember’s recommendations for setting, tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets, with a focus on the measurement and mitigation of coal mine methane. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Submission-to-2023-CCA-Review-Issues-Paper.pdf

Chicago

Reynolds, Annika. Submission to the Climate Change Authority’s Issues Paper - May 2023 Ember’s recommendations for setting, tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets, with a focus on the measurement and mitigation of coal mine methane. Ember, 2023. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Submission-to-2023-CCA-Review-Issues-Paper.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reynolds |first1=Annika |title=Submission to the Climate Change Authority’s Issues Paper - May 2023 Ember’s recommendations for setting, tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets, with a focus on the measurement and mitigation of coal mine methane |publisher=Ember |date=30 June 2023 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Submission-to-2023-CCA-Review-Issues-Paper.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reynolds2023submission, author = {Reynolds, Annika}, title = {{Submission to the Climate Change Authority’s Issues Paper - May 2023 Ember’s recommendations for setting, tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets, with a focus on the measurement and mitigation of coal mine methane}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/Ember-Submission-to-2023-CCA-Review-Issues-Paper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }