Australian coalminers have praised the Federal Government’s AUD 2 billion cash injection into the development of carbon capture and storage technologies as a move that will help protect thousands of coalmining jobs.
The Federal Government today announced the funds would go towards four flagship carbon capture and storage projects in Wandoan, Gladstone, Latrobe Valley and the Collie South West hub near Perth.
The CFMEU Mining and Energy union, which represents more than 20,000 coalminers across the country, said the Government’s investment would help secure the future of the sector but that more action was needed from industry.
Mr Tony Maher General President of CFMEU Mining and Energy union said Australian industry needed to pledge at least AUD 2 billion to meet the world’s 2013 deadline for rolling out capture and storage.
Mr Maher said “Australia and the world have a short window of opportunity to get carbon capture and storage operations up and running. If industry is serious about protecting jobs and the communities that rely on coal then they will stump up the cash needed to further develop carbon capture and storage technologies on a large scale.”
Mr Maher said that while carbon capture storage would help to reduce Australia and the world’s carbon emissions the technology would only be viable under emissions trading scheme. He said “The reality is if we are going to drive real investment in this critical technology then the we must put a price on carbon emissions.”
Mr Maher will be addressing the ‘Climate Change and World of Work’ in Copenhagen early next week, urging world leaders and industry to make a bigger commitment to carbon capture and storage.
The CFMEU Mining and Energy union fully endorse the National Carbon Capture and Storage Taskforce report, noting that recommendations reflect a sensible science based approach to infrastructure planning.
Australian coal communities recognize that reducing carbon emissions is needed in the fight against climate change and is in the long-term interests of the country’s coal industry.
