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The Stinky Awards

Welcome to the inaugural Stinky Awards! For decades, Queensland’s coal mines have been leaking polluting methane from their coal mines - millions and millions of tonnes of it a year - causing all the devastating impacts of climate change. And the coal companies have kept it quiet - just letting all this gas escape without properly measuring it or controlling it.

We thought it high time to make sure that the coal industry’s contribution to Queensland’s domestic greenhouse emissions wasn’t going unnoticed. Glencore, Anglo-American and BMA, they’re all big on the world stage, selling their coal to customers in Asia, India and Europe. But they’re also heating up the Sunshine State and making it nearly impossible to achieve our climate targets.

The Stinky Awards are all about sniffing out these climate criminals so Queenslanders know who is driving the climate crisis that is creating ever more severe droughts, floods, and cyclones. These severe weather events harm the great lifestyle Queenslanders cherish. 

On 26th July we’ll deliver giant blow-up poo emojis to the Brisbane offices of three of the gassiest coal mining companies operating in the Sunshine State. There are five categories:

The Thunder Down Under: awarded to the company with the highest cumulative emissions across its operations. 2023 Winner: Anglo American.

The Silent but Deadly: Awarded to the company most notorious for underreporting methane emissions. 2023 winner: Glencore for its Hail Creek coal mine. State of the art methane detecting satellites revealed Hail Creek produced ten times more methane than it reported to authorities.

The Dutch Oven: Awarded to the company that owns the coal mine with the highest individual on-site emissions. 2023 winner: Anglo American for its Moranbah North mine, which produced two million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (net) last year according to the Clean Energy Regulator.

The Stink and Stain: Awarded to the company leaving the biggest methane stain on the landscape with gassy underground and open cut mine: BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (Broadmeadow, Goonyella, Caval Ridge, Blackwater)

The Just Ate Beans for Lunch. Awarded to a newcomer on the Queensland coal scene who’s about to drop a real stinker. 2023 winner: Whitehaven for its planned Winchester South coal mine, which will produce about 531,000 tonnes of co2-e each year.

What can be done about coal mine methane in Queensland?

Download the emissions data for each of the 2023 winners here!

Sign the petition!

 

Methane is a climate cooker!

By 2030 methane gas leaking from Queensland’s coal mines and gas fields will be the biggest source of emissions in Queensland. And what’s worse -  these super emitters are getting away with it. 

By 2030 the mining of coal and gas will be creating more emissions in Queensland than agriculture, manufacturing or electricity. And while every other sector is making efforts to reduce emissions, the big mining companies are blowing Queensland’s emissions budget and doing nothing about it. 

Will you sign our petition calling for urgent action from the Queensland government on leaking methane gas from gas fields and coal mines?  We need to show the Queensland government that they have an urgent responsibility to hold mining companies to account

Dear Environment Minister Andrew Powell,

The Queensland government needs to act urgently to measure and control coal and gas mine methane - which is a growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Allowing coal and has mine methane to continue to increase, with new mine approvals and mine expansions will mean Queensland will have no chance of reaching its climate targets. Climate damage places homes, livelihoods and communities at risk.

The Queensland government should:
  1. Stop approving new coal and gas mines - this only adds to the problem.
  2. Close the gassiest mines
  3. Require strict measurement and abatement measures for existing coal and gas mines

Will you sign?