<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/31/adani-claims-its-export-program-helps-contribute-to-sustainable-energy-but-experts-say-thats-wilful-disinformation-ntwnfb>
"An Adani claim that its Australian export program, whereby coal is sent
through the Great Barrier Reef’s shipping channels, is advancing the United
Nations’ sustainable development goals, has been denounced by leading
scientists.
Adani’s Queensland export site claims its operations “ensure access to
affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”, which is one of
the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals.
Australia, along with other UN members, adopted the goals in 2015, designed to
address global challenges including poverty, justice, environmental degradation
and climate change.
The relevant UN goal is chiefly concerned with providing affordable and clean
energy, which it says requires a substantial increase in renewable energy.
Adani’s North Queensland Export Terminal (NQXT) near Bowen has the capacity to
export 50m tonnes of coal a year. In its latest sustainability report, NQXT
says it supports the UN goal by “enabling the export of high-quality Australian
coal to the world”.
One of Australia’s leading experts on the development goals, Prof John
Thwaites, said the word “sustainable” in the UN goal was key.
“I would argue that to ‘support the advancement of the sustainable development
goals’, energy and port operations need to support sustainable energy,” said
Thwaites, the chair of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute.
“Simply exporting coal is not achieving or supporting the sustainability
objective of the goals.”
He said there were also numerous references in the UN goals for the need to
take action on climate change, and that “simply exporting coal which will be
burned and produce greenhouse gas emissions overseas” is not supportive of
this."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
