A new report by UK environmental think tank Ember, has warned Australia’s underestimation of and failure to control methane emissions from coal mining has caused significant concerns for the country’s climate and economy.
Commissioned by Lock the Gate Alliance, the report warns that Australia is underestimating its methane emissions. Ember analyst, Dr Sabina Assan, said instead of cutting methane emissions, the world’s sixth biggest polluter is on track to move into third place.
“Instead of actually measuring gas leaking from mines, miners are estimating pollution based on production volumes,” the report said.
“The uncertainty associated with estimates is very high, anywhere between more than 50 per cent, or a factor of two higher.”
The misrepresentation of Australia’s figures can be due to the difference of short and long-term effects of methane in the atmosphere.
“Methane is a potent and fast-acting greenhouse gas, which is 82.5 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over 20 years, making the task of reducing methane levels even more important in the near term,” the report said.
“The Australian Government emissions figures use methane’s 100-year Global Warming Potential, hiding its higher short-term impact.”
According to Ember, the next 20 years will have the biggest impact on climate change worldwide, and Australia needs to rethink its approach to methane emissions now, to stop the short-term acceleration of global warming.
Queensland and New South Wales mines emit 90 per cent of Australia’s methane pollution, the report said, and there’s no regulations to slash the leaking gas. Queensland’s proposed mines will also double the state’s current emissions. Add New South Wales’ proposed coal mines, and the two states’ emissions will grow by the equivalent of 25.86 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Australia’s coal mines leaked 898,000 tonnes of methane in 2019, according to the federal industry department. That translates to about 74.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – more than the 44 million tonnes emitted from cars in the same year.
“Existing methane leaks aren’t being plugged with any urgency,” the report said.
“Mines are not voluntarily stepping up to implement methane abatement technology, and regulation on methane emissions measurement and reporting is patchy.”
Dr Assan warned expanding output threatens Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s plans to slash emissions by 43 per cent by 2030, and the global climate.
“If Australia’s proposed production capacity is realised, the country will by 2030 be producing more than five times the maximum production amount to achieve a 1.5°C compliant pathway in 2030,” Dr Assan said.
Economic concern
Apart from intensifying global warming, Australia’s inaction on methane could have significant economic impacts on the exportation of coal.
The EU is drawing up laws to slash coal mine emissions in its borders, and tariffs on carbon intensive products are being debated in the European Parliament.
“This could have consequences for the resilience of Australia’s current trade relationships if competitor coal export countries are faster to adopt methane reduction measures,” the report said.
This is due to 40 per cent of Australia’s coal being exported to countries such as Japan and Korea that are committed to the Global Methane Pledge. The pledge is a commitment by over 100 countries to reduce anthropogenic methane emissions by 30 per cent on 2020 levels by the end of the decade.
Ember recommended individual mines either measure leaking methane or develop estimation models based on local coal seam gas levels, and their reports should be verified by the Clean Energy Regulator.
State and federal governments could also ban methane venting or offer incentives for miners to capture and use or dispose of the gas, the report said.
An answer?
“Australia did not sign the Global Methane Pledge and very few mechanisms to reduce coal mine methane are either required of, or have been voluntarily adopted by, the country’s coal industry,” the report said.
“Given methane’s huge global warming potential over its 12-year atmospheric lifespan, pursuing these pathways would provide Australia with a critical ‘quick win’ in its effort to reduce emissions.”Dr Assan said the most effective way to slash methane emissions was phasing out coal mining.
“Australia is falling behind in a race it could be winning,” Dr Assan told the Australian Associated Press.
“The technology exists, but companies are not incentivised to deploy it.
“It is up to the Australian Government to legislate a robust and well-thought-out plan to rapidly reduce easy-to-tackle leaks in the short term and jump-start a just transition to phase out coal.”
The full report, Tackling Australia’s Coal Mine Methane Problem, can be accessed here.
