The report highlights the perilous situation Australia’s endangered koalas are facing from the dual threats of habitat destruction from land clearing and climate change, and assesses the potential climate pollution of dozens of currently proposed coal mines. It examines proposed new coal mining projects that are planning to clear koala habitat, including projects that are currently undergoing assessment under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).

Key findings

The research concludes that at least 26 proposed new coal mines will clear important koala habitat, including 23 projects that are being assessed under the EPBC Act and seeking approval from the Albanese government as well as three projects not yet referred for EPBC assessment. The 26 coal mining projects plan to clear a combined total of 11,644 hectares of koala habitat and would be responsible for at least 8.2 billion tonnes of climate pollution if they are approved and proceed.

Australia is the global leader in mammal extinctions. More mammals have become extinct in Australia in recent centuries than any other continent on Earth. The primary drivers of Australia’s extinction crisis are loss of habitat through land clearing and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like bushfires and flooding due to climate change. 

The report's authors argue that climate change, fuelled by coal and gas projects approved under the current Act, is a key threat to Australia’s wildlife and habitat. The report warns that Australia’s koala populations face a very real prospect of extinction due to habitat destruction and the impacts of climate change.

Recommendations for the Federal Government

1. Reject approvals for new coal mines and expansions that impact koalas and other threatened species
2. Put in place an immediate moratorium on the clearing of any further koala habitat for coal projects
3. Review environmental approvals of projects approved to impact on koala habitat in the last two years
4. End the reliance on biodiversity offsets that enable destruction of critical koala and other threatened species habitat
5. Commit to a rapid phase out of fossil fuels, to safeguard endangered species 
6. Enact strong new nature laws that effectively protect threatened species and their habitat as well as comprehensively assess the climate impacts of proposed projects.