Abstract

Are we getting close to the swansong for coal, blamed to be too polluting and bound to be replaced in the future by cleaner energy sources? Australia hopes not. Not only the country is the second largest coal exporter in the world, but its government has been pushing for years to open up one of the largest untapped coal reserves on the planet. «It would create thousands of jobs, and it would help to lift people out of poverty in developing countries», coal industry advocates say. However, is the creation of new coal mines compatible with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at COP21?