Australia's highest court has ruled a coal mine expansion project unlawful, citing insufficient consideration of climate damage. Environmentalists say the ruling sets a "binding national precedent" requiring the climate impact of fossil fuel projects to be weighed during approval processes. The decision concerns the Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion project in New South Wales, with the court finding that planning authorities failed to ensure greenhouse gas emissions were "minimized to the greatest extent possible." Mach Energy, the mine operator, had planned to extend the mine's life by more than 20 years to 2048 and nearly double its annual output.