International push for moratorium on new coal mines

World renowned scientists and economists back Kiribati President’s call for No New Coal Mines in open letter published tomorrow in The Guardian UK and global edition of New Scientist.

Former NASA Goddard Institute Director Dr. James E. Hansen, Dr. David Suzuki, Nobel Laureate Professor Kenneth Arrow, and Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber have joined 53 other scientists, economists and other experts in calling for a moratorium on new coal mines ahead of the Paris Climate Summit.

The list includes notable signatories from a wide range of countries who support the proposition on the basis that it makes economic, scientific and common sense to stop building new coal mines.

“The world will not succeed in keeping temperature rise under 2 degrees if it continues to construct new coal mines,” Chief Economist at The Australia Institute, Richard Denniss said.

“You don’t have to be a Nobel Prize winning economist or scientist to understand that digging up and burning more coal means more emissions and more climate change. But high profile support, as well as growing public support, has put a moratorium on new coal mines on the agenda before Paris.

“A massive expansion of coal mining and exports will make any commitment made in Paris near impossible to actually achieve,” Denniss said.

The President of low-lying Pacific nation Kiribati, Anote Tong, has championed the calls for a moratorium on new coal mines, which has gained the backing of 11 other Pacific nations.

61 prominent Australians backed President Tong’s call in an open letter in September.

This week 9 prominent Swedes, including world leading scientists, economists, a Mayor and an Archbishop, signed an open letter published in Dagens Nyheter backing No New Coal Mines.

Financial analysis by Carbon Tracker, respected UK financial analysts, this week found “No new coal mines are needed globally” in a world meeting a 2 degree target. Globally, US$2 trillion of coal and gas projects would be in the ‘danger zone’ at risk of being stranded assets.