Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

If Australia were to produce and export less coal, global emissions would be going up. The world environment would be worse off. That is a rational economic fact that the Greens clearly do not understand. If we were to reduce the level of coal production and coal exports from Australia into markets around the world where there is a demand for coal, emissions would be going up and the world environment would be worse off. So we would be harming our economy and we would be harming the global environment. The reason for that is Australian black coal has got a lower moisture content, lower ash and higher energy intensity. When you have countries around the world, in particular in emerging and developing markets, that have an existing and, for the foreseeable future, continuing demand for coal, to the extent that we don't supply that coal it will be met by coal from other sources which are dirtier and more polluting. (Time expired)