An Australian court has upheld the government's decision to approve the expansion of two coal mines, a case that has challenged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's administration's climate policies.

Justice Shaun McElwaine supported the Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek's authorization of the Whitehaven Coal and MACH Energy Australia projects. This decision rejected calls from activists to reconsider the climate risks associated with increased coal production.

McElwaine stated that the case does not concern the denial of climate science or the existential threat posed by climate change. However, it highlights the need for further parliamentary consideration of how to assess global warming risks.

Australia, a top global fossil fuel exporter, has faced numerous legal challenges against projects due to their anticipated impact on global warming. The attention has also focused on Prime Minister Albanese's support for the coal industry, which generated $82 billion in export earnings in the last fiscal year, even as his government seeks more ambitious domestic emissions reductions.

Plibersek and the coal producers were the joint respondents in the legal challenge, brought by the Environment Council of Central Queensland, an advocacy group that claimed the minister acted unlawfully by not considering climate and ecological risks.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticized the country's environment laws, stating they are inadequate as long as they do not address climate change. She argued that the Environment Minister should prioritize environmental protection, climate action, river and reef conservation, and public safety, rather than aligning with coal and gas companies.

Whitehaven is seeking approval to extend operations at its Narrabri underground mine until 2044, while MACH Energy, controlled by Indonesian billionaire Anthoni Salim's Droxford International Ltd., aims to prolong production at Mount Pleasant until 2048.