Press release – 1 June, 2016Sydney, 2 June 2016 – Glencore’s decision to close the Tahmoor coal mine in NSW is a searing reality check for the Coalition and Labor parties, who are risking Australia’s economic future by supporting the sunset coal industry, Greenpeace Australia Pacific said today.Nikola Casule, Greenpeace’s Climate campaigner said:
“Tahmoor’s closure is one of the strongest market signals yet that coal is on the way out, and it’s been sent by Glencore itself, the world’s largest coal exporting company.
“The Coalition and Labor parties should wake up to themselves and heed this searing reality check. There is simply no growth to be had from the coal market, where prices are collapsing globally and with no chance of recovery.
“That Glencore is closing this mine – rather its favoured practice of cutting staff and production – shows how little appetite there is to buy into the coal industry, let alone expand it.
“Not only that, this closure shows how little substance there is to traditional party claims there is still strong demand for metallurgical coal, which is used in steel making and is what Tahmoor produced.
“Worst of all, Glencore is failing to implement a transition plan for the 350 coal mine workers at Tahmoor, who will be left stranded by this closure.
“Both major parties are failing Australians by refusing to acknowledge they have a responsibility to create a transition plan for coal workers and by ignoring the potential for an economy based on renewable energy.”
ENDS