Australia's environment minister green lights Whitehaven Coal mine expansion

Despite a court decision, Australia's Environment Minister Sussan Ley approved an expansion of a Whitehaven Coal mine, raising its shares upon the news.

Eight teenagers have brought a class action suit against the company's plan to ramp up production at the Vickery mine in New South Wales state which led the court decision to oblige the minister to consider the harm caused by climate change.

Ley’s decision is the second coalmining project within two weeks and six weeks before world leaders are due to meet for the United Nations Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow.

In May when a federal court found the minister had a moral duty of care to children to consider the impact of climate change when making decisions on new coal mines.

Australia, the world's biggest coal exporter, is under pressure to announce tougher national emissions reduction targets.