Rod Campbell
Research Director

One of the big announcements at last week’s UN climate talks in Brazil was that the South Korean Government has committed to phasing out coal-fired power by 2040.

This is a big deal. Not only because it will reduce the substantial emissions of Korea, but because of the influence it will have on the other big Asian coal importers – China and Japan. There are centuries of rivalry between these countries and one of them moving to phase out coal will help move the others forward.

But this globally significant news might not have been possible were it not for grass roots environmental activism in New South Wales.

Three major South Korean companies had planned coal mines in NSW over the last decade – Bylong near the Hunter Valley, Wallarah 2 on the NSW Central Coast and Hume Coal in the Southern Highlands.

All three were defeated by opponents in the local communities, backed by organisations like The Australia Institute, Lock the Gate and the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO).

Combined, these projects would have seen Korean companies invest $3.6 billion in mines that would have produced 13 million tonnes of coal each year. They would have seen the Korean Government deeply invested in Australian coal mines planned to operate into the 2050s.

But none of these mines exist thanks to community opposition.

This demonstrates the importance of local, grass-roots climate activism. This shows the global impact that local groups can have in this interconnected world.

More than this, however, it shows the importance of opposing mines and gas fields by climate activists. This is a complete vindication of the strategy that The Australia Institute and others have taken in targeting fossil fuel supply and highlighting Australia’s role as a major fossil fuel exporter.