Clean coal unlikely in Australia, says Hunt

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt said new low-emissions coal power plants were unlikely to be built in Australia, despite the International Energy Agency saying the more efficient, super-critical plants would help ensure coal remained the dominant global fuel source for decades to come, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Hunt, who is in Paris for the global climate talks, said he expected renewable energy, such as wind and solar, would take up the slack when older coal-fired generators were phased out in Australia.

Rio Tinto busy off stage as BHP Billiton squirms in limelight

While the attention has been trained on BHP Billiton and its mounting woes, arch rival Rio Tinto has been quietly consolidating and starting to execute long-held growth plans, according to the Australian Financial Review.

But 2015 has been a good year for Rio, considering the pressure that heavily depressed commodity prices is having on its cash flow. And Rio is not shy about telling the world that it's in fighting shape.

Energy-hungry India needs more coal

India argues that it cannot simply decide between renewable and non-renewable power – it needs both, according to the Australian Financial Review.

So a breakneck dash for coal is taking place across the country, where on average one new mine is opening every month. As a result, India's carbon dioxide emissions are expected to rise from 1.7 billion tonnes in 2010 to 5.3Bt – about a sixth of all the carbon dioxide released in the world last year – by 2030.