---
title: Australia 'a laggard on coal'
description: Federal Court judge concerned by decision to enter into a $21 million grant agreement with a gas company with interests in the NT's Beetaloo Basin.
---
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The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# Australia 'a laggard on coal'
Wednesday, 15 September 2021
In today’s news, a Federal Court judge is "concerned" by a resource Minister Keith Pitt’s decision to enter into a $21 million grant agreement with a gas company with interests in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo Basin.
The number of coal burning power stations in early stages of development around the world has collapsed by 76 per cent since the Paris Agreement was signed with 41 countries committing not to build any new coal power stations but Australia remains one of five “laggard” nations in the OECD that still has “small” amounts of new coal power in the pipeline, along with Poland, Mexico and Columbia.
And, in an international first an Australian endangered species that was extinct in the wild has been successfully reintroduced and had its conservation status changed.
[Federal Court judge 'concerned' by Minister Keith Pitt's 'sudden' decision to sign $21 million fracking grant agreement](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-14/nt-federal-court-minister-keith-pitt-gas-company-beetaloo-basin/100459900)
A Federal Court judge says he is "concerned" by a ministerial decision to enter into a $21 million grant agreement with a gas company with interests in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo Basin after a letter filed in court had said the agreement would not be reached for weeks.
[Koala numbers fall after bushfires, conservation group says government numbers inaccurate](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-14/koala-numbers-fall-after-bushfires/100451202)
Australia's biggest koala conservation group says government estimates on koalas are so inaccurate that urgent action is needed to avoid a national catastrophe.
[Australia a ‘laggard’ as coal projects collapse worldwide](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brisbanetimes.com.au%2Fenvironment%2Fclimate-change%2Faustralia-a-laggard-as-coal-projects-collapse-worldwide-20210914-p58rlc.html&uId=5a778e7a00aa2026a265262c&cId=5a71496272d9dc241933e61d&contextId=6140ff80920c671bf171905c&dId=2uqpCWAen4CSEfCxDDQOBhOjWko&op=open&sentiment=N&isHosted=false&id=4170765&name=Net%20Zero%20Emissions&type=search&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5icmlzYmFuZXRpbWVzLmNvbS5hdSJ9.Q8Ey-mPNLMwLmFbh44eEcZ0Fhfq1qwkEYqP28x62XOaAoUdJdxVqRmR40OYw1PV5rKtaXnk0t55qzLKAWeN7vA&s=mail-digest)
The number of coal plants in early stages of development around the world has collapsed by 76 per cent since the Paris Agreement was signed with 41 countries committing not to build any new coal power stations.
[Groups call on government to step in after court thwarts second Bylong coal project appeal](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mudgeeguardian.com.au%2Fstory%2F7429525%2Fgroups-call-on-government-to-step-in-after-court-quashes-yet-another-bylong-coal-appeal%2F&uId=5a778e7a00aa2026a265262c&cId=5a71496272d9dc241933e61d&contextId=6140ff80920c671bf171905c&dId=3nkRhIv-ktUo2LSTynRpwq-3geo&op=open&sentiment=N&isHosted=false&id=7408579&name=Clean%20Air&type=search&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5tdWRnZWVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20uYXUifQ.ANG1ENXiLzH0cu6oVggY5FqevGoYtu84gw9Pi_JHF27xustbd28uZjdqDH4a53V8RJgBaLFMMk6OsMDHvPxWtw&s=mail-digest)
The Bylong Valley coal project has suffered another blow after the South Korean Government backed KEPCO lost a second legal appeal over the Independent Planning Commission's (IPC) 2019 decision to reject its planned coal mine at Bylong due to the impact it would have had on water, highly productive farming country, and the climate.
[Australia was late on renewable energy and is now making same mistakes with electric vehicles, analysts say](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/15/australia-was-late-on-renewable-energy-and-is-now-making-same-mistakes-with-electric-vehicles-analysts-say)
Major developed countries including the US, Japan, Britain and the European Union cut greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation faster than Australia over the past decade, a new report states.
[Bandicoots back from the brink as status downgraded to endangered](https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/bandicoots-back-from-the-brink-as-status-downgraded-to-endangered-20210914-p58rgd.html)
In an international first an endangered species that was extinct in the wild has been successfully reintroduced and had its conservation status changed, with Victoria’s eastern barred bandicoot population successfully pulled back from the brink of extinction.
[Doctors, farmers call on federal government to adopt stronger climate targets ahead of Glasgow summit](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-15/doctors-farmers-urge-government-stronger-climate-targets-glasgow/100462018)
Doctors have urged the federal government to commit to stronger climate change targets ahead of next month's global climate summit in Glasgow, warning the health of Australians is being put at risk.
[Agricultural sector could be net zero by 2040 if Australia boosts efforts, report suggests](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/15/agricultural-sector-could-be-net-zero-by-2040-if-australia-boosts-efforts-report-suggests)
Australia’s agricultural sector can reach net zero emissions by 2040, achieving emissions reductions of 40 per cent by 2030 and 60 per cent by 2035 by scaling up existing Morrison government programs, according to new work from Ernst and Young.
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