Each year the gold standard of energy statistics comes out in July. The Statistical Review of World Energy reports in great detail about the energy sources that countries actually use, not what they say they will use.

For example, two years ago almost all countries in the world met in Glasgow and agreed that they would lower carbon emissions to “net zero” over the next 30 years.

Two years later, the world is producing 11 per cent more coal and 7 per cent more oil. Carbon emissions have grown by more than 3 per cent, to hit new record highs in 2023.

Talk is cheap.

And it is not just developing countries like China and India that is responsible for this growth. In 2023, the United States produced more oil than any country ever had, in any year. Even more than Saudi Arabia. The United States has increased its oil production by 16 per cent since Joe Biden signed up to “net zero”.

In our region, coal demand is going gangbusters. Over the past two years, Indonesia has opened the equivalent of three new coal fired power stations, India 22 and China 42. The world will not blow up if Australia were to use some of the coal we export, to generate reliable and cheap electricity for ourselves.

With all this construction of coal fired power stations in our region, there is a massive opportunity for Australia to increase its coal mining to meet the demand. That could generate thousands of extra jobs, billions of extra royalties and bring more prosperity and opportunity to our country towns.

Instead, Australia is completely missing out on this boom because Australian governments have made it clear to the world that they are embarrassed about coal. Even some of the biggest companies in the industry rarely even say the word “coal”.

Why would anyone invest in coal in Australia when they are not made welcome and when there is plenty of coal in other countries?

The only major new thermal coal mine that has opened in recent years is the Adani Carmichael mine. Despite massive hurdles put in its place by governments, it opened two years ago and is now producing 10 million tonnes a year. That was a great achievement for the people that fought for it for many years and a testament to the commitment of Adani too.

As big as Adani has been news here in Australia, it is a drop in the ocean compared to the increase in coal mining across the world. China’s coal mining has grown by 584 million tonnes per year (that is 58 Adanis) in just two years. India has added 199 million tonnes a year (20 Adanis), Indonesia 161 million tonnes (16 Adanis) and Mongolia 50 million tonnes (5 Adanis). To put these figures in context, Australia’s TOTAL annual coal mining output is 450 million tonnes a year.

Also, all of these countries “signed” up to net zero emissions targets just before they let coal mining output skyrocket.

So given these countries’ blatant disregard for their climate commitments, why aren’t the activists glueing themselves to the gates of the Chinese embassy or calling for a boycott of Bali? Could it be that the well-funded climate campaigns are more about changing our government than changing the world’s climate?

Whatever their motives, the result is that Australia is left behind while other countries increase their mining now and capture market share from us. While we will continue to mine the coal from the existing mines, if we do not start attracting investment to meet the renewed surge in world coal demand over time we will lose our coal industry.

Ending coal mining in Australia won’t do a thing to the world’s temperature, it will just shift coal mining to other countries.

Hon Matt Canavan

Senator for QLD