Australia’s environment groups are taking a very long look at the ICJ ruling on states having responsibilities to cut emissions or face reparations – and that includes the Environment Centre of the Northern Territory.

That group says the ruling “casts doubt over the $1.5bn federal subsidy for a toxic gas and petrochemical hub planned for the Darwin Harbour”.

You might know it as Middle Arm.

From the group’s statement:

The Court held that states could be liable under international law for failing to address “fossil fuel production, fossil fuel consumption, the granting of fossil fuel exploration licences or theprovision of fossil fuel subsidies”, which could include the Albanese Government’s $1.5 billion subsidy for the Middle Arm gas and petrochemical hub.

Middle Arm will use gas from fracking in the Beetaloo Basin (which could increase Australia’s national emissions by up to 20%) and will establish a range of high-risk and high-emission industries right on the banks of our great Darwin Harbour.

These developments directly contradict urgent warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency that no new fossil fuel projects can proceed if the world is to avoid dangerous climate change.

A leaked government report from last year forecast that fracking in the Beetaloo Basin and LNG expansions could potentially increase emissions by up to 150%.