Glencore receives approval for the extension of Hunter Valley coal mining operations in Australia

Glencore won approval on Wednesday to continue operating its Hunter Valley thermal coal project in Australia until 2045 after a state government determined that the economic benefits outweighed any environmental impact.

Environmentalists criticized the decision, saying it would worsen the pollution and make Australia harder to reach its emission targets. But the miner who employs 1,500 people at two open-cut?mines in New South Wales welcomed it.

Dave Foster, general manager of Glencore Hunter Valley operations, said: "Our most sincere and deepest thanks to our dedicated workers, our local suppliers, and the wider Hunter community."

The Independent Planning Commission of New South Wales said that the benefits of the project to the Hunter Region and NSW were "on balance, overweighed by its positive impacts, including employment, economic activity and support for local businesses, as well as ongoing royalties and taxation revenues."

Australia is the largest coal producer in the world per capita. In recent years it has made significant investments in renewable energy industries and has committed to reaching net zero by 2050.

"What New South Wales exports as coal, we import back as bushfires. heatwaves. and droughts. Climate harm doesn't stop at the border. Neither does responsibility.

Lock the Gate, a group that campaigns 'against fossil-fuels,' said the pollution created by the mines would undermine Australia’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases emissions.

(source: Reuters)