Greenhouse gas emissions
The production of electricity from coal is the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the coal supply chain. Greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of Rio Tinto Coal Australia's product are approximately 50 times more than the emissions that result from mining, processing and transporting the coal.
Rio Tinto Coal Australia's objective is to actively research and promote technologies that reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the use of coal. Our Climate Change Action Plan outlines support for a range of programmes that aim to support the research, development and deployment of low emission coal technologies. These programmes include:
- Research to identify new technologies
- Technology upgrades to improve the way coal is burned
- Supporting a policy environment to enable the deployment of low emissions coal technologies.
Independent research indicates "cost effective, large scale CO2 capture and storage is the key technology requirement" (Batelle, 2006).
