Rudd exporting CO2: Greenpeace paints coal ships as poll reveals 82% disagree with export coal expansion plans

The protest comes as an Essential Research poll commissioned by Greenpeace reveals that 82% of Australians want Australia's coal exports capped or reduced (2). NSW exports 100 million tonnes (Mt) of coal each year and plans have been approved to double exports, which would contribute a further 270 Mt of CO2. Export coal expansion plans in Queensland will up exports by 170 Mt. This totals 729 million tonnes of CO2 just from these expansions: equal to 125% of Australia's total current emissions and the same as the annual CO2 pollution from 104 average sized coal-fired power stations.

"It is contradictory and immoral for Prime Minister Rudd to be expanding the export coal industry whilst talking about urgent action on climate change. Rudd's policies are increasingly at odds with his statements," said Greenpeace campaigner Simon Roz. "Just days ago in Port Douglas, Mr Rudd said 'Australia must act locally and globally on the challenge of climate change because if we fail great assets like the Great Barrier Reef will be fatally in peril''. Yet he is overseeing huge coal export expansion plans in NSW and in Queensland, which will accelerate climate change impacts. It begs the question, is Kevin Rudd going to shape up to be the climate leader Australians hoped he would be?

"When it comes to greenhouse pollution, out of sight is not out of mind. Coal burnt overseas contributes to the demise of all pristine environments; shipping Australian coal offshore will not save the Great Barrier Reef nor the Murray-Darling. Rudd should be ashamed at profiting from the short term gains of export coal at the expense of long-term solutions; the very least we can do is to cap our coal exports at current levels and ban future coal expansions, as four out of five Australians would like to see happen."

Not only is Australia one of the world's highest per capita polluters but we also export more CO2 than we emit domestically. In 2006/7, we exported 30% of the world's total coal exports, equal to 656 Mt of CO2. Australia is the world's largest exporter by far with the majority of our coal exported to developed nations, such as Japan and European countries, which could, and should, be using renewables not coal.

"To be an international leader on climate change Mr Rudd needs to stand up to the big polluters," Mr Roz said. "Cuts to domestic emissions will be negated if Australia ships hundreds of millions of tonnes of emissions elsewhere. Mr Rudd should instead be taking advantage of the global bounty of renewable industry opportunities - backing coal is taking Australia in the wrong direction."