Coal mines emission report obtained under FOI says world's Paris climate targets 'won't be met'

A report commissioned by the NSW government claims the Paris Agreement goals will not be met. (Supplied)

External consultants have advised the NSW government the Paris Agreement climate targets, which the state has committed to, will not be achieved.

The advice was stated in a report prepared for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment in May 2023 on the best way to reduce coal mine emissions.

Under the Paris Agreement, Australia committed to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by 2030, and to net zero emissions by 2050.

The NSW government has also endorsed the treaty and last year enshrined into law emissions reduction targets of 50 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2035.

The report by external consultants Katestone Environmental was accessed under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws by environment group Lock the Gate.

It provided advice on the best options for curbing one of the state's biggest emitters, coal mines.

In the introduction, the report stated "it is generally accepted that the original Paris Treaty goal of keeping mean global temperature change at or below 2.0 degrees Celsius (and preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius) compared to pre-industrial levels (1800s) will not be met".

Last year the United Nations Secretary-General Antònio Guterres said it was "still possible" to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, despite the world not being on track to reach the target.

The head of research and investigations at Lock the Gate, Georgina Woods, said the advice appears to dismiss the state's main climate objective.

"The advice starts out by saying these temperature goals that we have all committed to aren't going to be met," Ms Woods said.

"Our shock at reading [that] this is how is the NSW department of planning is going to take the action it needs to, to make sure this goal is met, if they are getting this advice … just throws the goal away right from the outset."

Methane campaigner from the Australian Conservation Fund (ACF), Piper Rollins, said if the state government was following this advice it would have serious consequences for its emissions goals.

"I think this advice is totally at odds with the state's own commitments and own legislation," she said.

"If we're surrounding ourselves with advice that says the things we're committed to and bound to under law are unachievable, then of course we are not going to implement best practice to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Katestone Environmental was also commissioned to provide individual reports for 16 operating coal mines.

The information commissioner refused to provide these documents after the companies objected.

The ABC directed questions to the NSW Department of Planning, which commissioned the report, and was directed to NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully.

"This report was commissioned by the previous government in 2022," Mr Scully said.

"The NSW government's position on emissions reduction is clear, having legislated targets of 50 per cent emissions reduction by 2030, 70 per cent reduction by 2035, and net zero by 2050."

Advice doesn't 'meaningfully' deal with emissions

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas which is 28 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Emissions from coal mines account for 23 per cent of Australia's total methane emissions and nearly nine per cent of total emissions.

Katestone Environmental was tasked with developing a checklist of best practices for reducing emissions from underground and open cut coal mines.

The report identified a number of areas where emissions reductions could be achieved including replacing mine vehicles with electric vehicles, using biofuels, and automation.

The report said the "emerging best practice" for fugitive methane emissions was using offsets.

"It seems that this report doesn't at all meaningfully deal with the issue that is methane emission from coal mines," Ms Rollins said.

"Offsetting methane emissions is totally inappropriate.

"Our carbon offset scheme uses offsets that aren't sequestering methane from the atmosphere, they are sequestering carbon dioxide."

Underground coal mine emissions

For underground coal mines, the report found ventilated air methane (VAM) technology could be deployed to capture 96 per cent of fugitive methane emissions and convert it to carbon dioxide.

According to the latest safeguard mechanism data, New South Wales' biggest emitting coal mine is the Appin colliery run by South32.

The coal mine emitted 2.4 million tonnes of methane in the last financial year, more than double the state's second most gassy mine.

The mine is currently involved in a trial with the CSIRO to deploy the technology.

"Underground coal mines under the safeguard mechanism should be doing everything they can, including using VAM, to mitigate their emissions," Ms Rollins said.

The ACF is pushing to set targets on methane emissions which the group believes will help NSW reach its targets.

"We could be in a scenario as we reduce our emissions from electricity and transport [where] emissions from fossil fuel projects become a larger proportion of NSW's total emissions," Ms Rollins said.