Greenpeace slams coal industry gathering in Bali

“CoalTrans is an immoral gathering of the industry responsible for taking us to the brink of climate catastrophe. These profiteering climate killers and their crony governments continue to push for massive investments in widely discredited “clean coal” technologies and the expansion of extractive operations in the region,” said Nur Hidayati of Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “Developed countries forming the G8 and a host of APEC nations are liable for the climate crisis, yet instead of owning up to their responsibility, these same nations continue to push coal in developing countries.”

On world-famous Kuta Beach of Bali, Greenpeace erected a tableau of a carbon dioxide spewing dragon representing the coal industry, one major source of emissions that kill the climate.

"We are facing a climate emergency. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels - the principal driver of climate change - have accelerated globally at a far quicker rate than expected over recent years. Attempts to deepen the Indonesian economy's reliance on coal exports and domestic coal-fired power generation is sheer recklessness which could also backfire in the form of serious climate impacts which the country is not prepared to deal with.  Only the coal industry wins (1) if Indonesia embraces coal rather than harness the enormous energy
efficiency and renewable energy potentials of the country, which are commercially viable," Hidayati added.

CoalTrans 2007 is attended by the world’s largest coal producers and coal-fired power plant operators from Asia and the western hemisphere. Interestingly, the coal industry gathering coincides with the meeting of G8 leaders in Germany, where climate change is top agenda, and follows the recent APEC Energy Ministers in Darwin, Australia. Like the US, Australia has rejected the Kyoto Protocol and leads most regional initiatives on coal expansion into countries like Indonesia.

“APEC should put forward a genuine vision of Asia Pacific Energy Cooperation by prioritizing efficiency and renewable energy and by making coal a thing of the past. It must not be reduced to a talkfest that only results in lining the pockets of fossil fuel companies, especially through coal export deals. The new APEC energy agreement should be focused on providing technical, institutional and financial support towards the massive uptake of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency technologies in the region,” said Catherine Fitzpatrick of Greenpeace Australia.