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Climate & Energy

The Nature Conservation Council recognises that climate change is an existential threat to civilisation and nature.

Burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests has rapidly changed the composition of the atmosphere.  To limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius we must rapidly phase out fossil fuels and protect and increase forests. Coal is the number one cause of climate change and NSW is a major exporter and burner of coal.  It is critical to transition away from coal to clean energy.  NCC is working on a variety of campaigns to reduce coal use and promote clean energy and a rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Stop the Angus Place coal mine 

Burnt to ashes. Wetlands should not burn, but wetlands on the Newnes Plateau have burn because coal mining underneath has cracked the bedrock and the water has drained out.

The Nature Conservation Council is working with locals to oppose the Angus Place coal mine near Lithgow.  Centennial Coal want to longwall coal mine under previous wetlands which will be turned into lifeless, dusty deserts.

The longwall mining technique deliberately collapses the ground after the machine extracts the coal. This causes cracks in the bedrock, which drains water from the wetlands.  The re-opening and expansion of Angus Place mine under the remaining wetlands should be rejected. This area of the Newens Plateau should be protected from mining.

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Clean up Vales Point coal power station

An estimated 650 extra children suffer asthma on the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie because of nitrogen dioxide pollution emitted by coal-fired power stations.  The Vales Point power station has applied to operation outside the standard pollution limits and emit up to twice the NSW limit, 10 times the European limit and 23 times the Japanese limit. 

The Nature Conservation Council is working with the local community for the Environmental Protection Authority to reject the application and require the owners of Vales Point to install equipment to clean up the power station.  

Coal is not just terrible for the climate, but is a major source of air pollution and causes many health issues.

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Repower NSW

To mitigate climate change we must rapidly phase out coal from our energy system and replace it with clean, renewable energy.  

The NSW government has recently made strides towards this goal, but more needs to be done. 

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Electrify Transport

Emissions from the transport sector make up 22% of NSW greenhouse gas emissions. Vehicles also cause air pollution that damages people's health.  The electrification of the transport sector with electric cars powered by renewable energy can make a major impact on overall emissions, while reducing air pollution and noise pollution.

The Nature Conservation Council wants to accelerate the take up of electric vehicles with incentives to make them more affordable and building out the infrastructure to service the electric fleet.

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Get off the gas: Victoria is quitting gas, NSW should follow suit

Get off the gas: Victoria is quitting gas, NSW should follow suit  28th July 2023  The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC), the states leading environmental advocacy organisation, welcomes the...
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No time for delay: NSW Government needs to go all in on renewables

Tuesday 25th July 2023  The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC), the states leading environmental advocacy organisation, has said that the NSW Government needs to get behind renewables and commit...
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Paying Aussies to pollute - Peak environment groups denounce Jemena Energy for incentivising gas switch

2nd June 2023Paying Aussies to pollute - Peak environment groups denounce Jemena Energy for incentivising gas switch While the Victorian and NSW state governments are implementing policies designed to break Australia's toxic...
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