Editor's letter

With COP29 currently underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, decarbonisation is firmly on the global agenda. We look at the emissions reduction goals of Australian mining companies and ask whether they are on track to meet their decarbonisation targets.  

In tech, we examine some of the techniques being trialled to reduce fugitive emissions from Australia’s coal mines, which account for about a quarter of the commodity sector’s emissions. We also dig into the progress on electrifying Australia’s underground mines, and the role that industry-OEM collaboration plays in these efforts. Plus, GlobalData looks at Rio Tinto’s multifaceted strategy to adopt biofuels in its mining operations.   

We also explore the occupational health impacts of mining — from musculoskeletal conditions to hearing loss and serious lung conditions —and the importance of specialist "mining hospitals" in supporting workers.  

With one think-tank recently accusing Australia’s mining sector of paying “nowhere near enough” tax, we look at the country’s mining royalty system and more broadly, how mining benefits the country.  

Caroline Peachey, editor