'Industry working hardest to solve greenhouse gas issue':



"MORE than 53 per cent of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions are produced via its coal industry. The next biggest contributer is the transport industry with 14 per cent.
The coal industry's impact on the environment and role in global warming is not the easiest topic to discuss and lecture on among 250 mining delegates, but according to NSW Minerals chief executive Nikki Williams 'the coal industry is the solution, not the problem'.
As one of the keynote speaker at yesterday's Gunnedah Coal Conference, Dr Williams said images and media reports on the world's coal mining industry were 'demonising' its true role.
The industry recognised the climatic changes and its impacts, she said, and that was why it had committed $300million to the clean coal fund.

'The same ones being blamed for causing the issues are the ones working the hardest to address them,' Dr Williams said.
It's appropriate to note, she said, that Gunnedah was being touted as the new frontier in coal at the same time as the overall industry was having to address a new frontier in clean and efficient energy sources.
She addressed the industry's 'moral responsibility' to invest in all alternative energy sources, but said life without coal power was a 'fairytale' and one most Australians were not willing to pay for.
She referred to a recent survey that found 90 per cent of respondents would take up alternative and cleaner energy options, but less then 9 per cent were willing to pay more than 6 per cent more to do so.
Overall she wanted to see State Government policies supporting – alongside the $500million federally – the move to clean coal and dedicated research and development that would speed up the estimated 20 "