Australia To Shut Down Its Most-Polluting Coal Plant Far Earlier In Climate Win

In a victory for environmentalists, Australia has announced its plans to shutter its dirtiest power plant more than a decade in advance of its scheduled closure.

According to AGL Energy, the plant’s owner and the nation’s largest polluter, the Loy Yang A power station—which is said to be responsible for over 3% of the country’s total emissions—will close its doors in 2035, instead of 2048. 

The BBC reported that from 2019 to 2020 alone, Loy Yang A emitted 16.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, a huge portion of the total 513.4 million tonnes incurred by the entire continent’s population. 

Additionally, as per ABC News, the company says it plans to close down its Bayswater and NSW Hunter Valley coal plants sometime between 2030 and 2033. 

Calling the decision “a major step forward in Australia’s decarbonization journey,” AGL Interim Chief Executive Damien Nicks tells the stock exchange the earlier closure will see up to 200 million tonnes of emissions reduced. 

Climate change activists, such as Greenpeace Australia Pacific, have welcomed the news, with the latter saying the change will “make a real difference to the climate.” 

[via BBC and ABC News, cover image via Kerry Hill | Dreamstime.com]