The Australian government has greenlit a major new coal seam gas project, prompting environmental groups to describe the decision as "like lighting a cigarette while trying to quit" - a perfect metaphor for Canberra's climate hypocrisy.
The approval comes as Australia claims to be serious about meeting climate targets and positions itself as a climate leader in the Pacific region. Pacific Island nations watching this decision will not be impressed.
The coal seam gas expansion, reported by The Guardian, adds to Australia's already substantial fossil fuel extraction industry. The project will lock in decades of additional greenhouse gas emissions at precisely the moment climate science says emissions must rapidly decline.
"We tell Pacific Island nations we care about their climate concerns," one environmental advocate told The Guardian. "Then we approve massive new gas projects that will drown their countries. The hypocrisy is breathtaking."
Mate, there's a whole continent and a thousand islands down here. And Australia is approving fossil fuel projects that will literally sink some of those islands underwater.
Pacific Island leaders have repeatedly called on Australia to stop approving new fossil fuel projects. Countries like Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands face existential threats from sea-level rise - their entire nations could disappear this century if global emissions aren't dramatically reduced.
Yet Australia continues to approve new coal and gas projects while claiming climate leadership. The government argues the projects create jobs and export revenue. Environmental groups counter that the climate damage far outweighs short-term economic benefits.
