Australian Petroleum and Coal Resources: Taxation, Emissions and Energy Justice

Two forms of energy justice provide insight on Australia’s petroleum and coal problematic policy issues. First, distributive justice is used to cover the implications of low revenues from critical energy minerals; and fair allocations of resource income. Unfortunately, calls for true reform by the Australian community has resulted in a weak response from government. Second, cosmopolitan justice is used to consider the global effects of Australia’s fossil fuel extraction and use. Petroleum and coal exports result in GHG being emitted beyond the borders of the source country. However, there is now pressure in Australia to limit the opening of coal mines that supply the export market, but no such limit is applied to gas exports.