Climate change
Throughout the coal mining process, we use heavy machinery which uses a significant amount of diesel and electricity. Our products also create greenhouse gas emissions when used by our customers for power generation.
We are committed to ensuring that the people and products of our business form part of the solution to climate change. We are investing heavily in research and development initiatives aimed at finding ways to reduce our energy use and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire coal chain. In time, we believe this will help us ensure our continued access to markets and ability to retain our license to operate.
Our approach
Coal & Allied has been actively addressing climate change since 1996 through a range of business improvement and energy management initiatives.
In 2007, we launched a climate change action plan to address climate change within the business. The plan is multi faceted and aims to create an enabling environment where all employees can contribute to the solution for climate change. We are:
- Working to manage energy efficiency at our operations by metering and monitoring energy usage, implementing energy improvement programmes across all sites and saving diesel.
- Contributing towards research into clean coal technologies to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from our products. This includes the Australian Coal Association's Coal21 fund, the Australian Coal Association's Research Programme (ACARP), funding for the CO2 Collaborative Research Centre (CO2CRC) and funding for the Otway Basin geosequestration trial.
- Designing future projects with climate change in mind. Examples include a green building design for Kestrel Mine Extension, in-pit crushing for Clermont Mine Project to reduce energy and diesel use and improved industrial lighting.
- Raising awareness amongst our stakeholders that climate change is an issue that requires us to change how we currently operate.
Read more about Rio Tinto Coal Australia's approach to climate change.
Links
Australian Coal Association
Australian Greenhouse Office
Batelle - Global Energy Technology Strategy Program
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
World Coal Institute
