One of Australia’s biggest mining companies, Fortescue, has co-published a report with a leading science organisation, calling for an end to Australia’s biggest fossil fuel subsidy.

The report by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering calls out Australia’s Fuel Tax Credit Scheme for “subsidising diesel and discouraging uptake of alternative fuels.” It calls for the scheme to be phased out, “especially in high-emission sectors”.

When they say “high-emission sectors”, they mean mining.

Wait a second!? A mining company calling for an end to a subsidy to mining companies?!?…like The Australia Institute has called for for over a decade?

As unlikely as that sounds, Fortescue have been going hard on decarbonisation for years now. They see themselves, and Australia more broadly, as having an advantage in a greener mining industry, and the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme is slowing this down.

But much of the mining industry (think BHP, Rio Tinto, Gina, Adani) is happy to sit back, pollute and enjoy the $10 billion per year diesel subsidy.

A money fight between big mining companies!? Get your popcorn!