Leaked documents have revealed plans by a cabal of environmental groups to disrupt key coal export projects. 

 

Allegedly spearheaded by environmental group Greenpeace, the $6 million plan would seek to use litigation to delay coal exports and promote investor uncertainty.

 

The campaign, dubbed “Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom”, would focus on delaying the approval process of key projects according to the Australian Financial Review.

 

However, Greenpeace has defended its plans to use political means to delay key projects, describing key mining infrastructure assets as ‘globally significant carbon bombs.”  

 

“If the coal boom goes ahead as proposed it will push the world past a two degree limit for climate change. And we know what the negative impacts of that will be. The amount of carbon that is proposed to be exported from Australia is so large that Australians, we really have no choice but to stand up and stop this,” John Hepburn, a spokesperson from Greenpeace, told ABC’s Lateline.

 

Rio Tinto has publicly slammed the move, describing the initiative as ‘economic vandalism’ that would jeopardize the jobs of tens of thousands of people.

 

Trade Minister Craig Emerson has described the campaign as delusional, saying it was a fantasy to imagine that the coal industry would be abandoned.