In doing so he proclaimed that  approval would be subject to 36 of the most stringent conditions ever imposed on any coal mine ever. 

They included conditions to cover the impact of the mine on water, wildlife and threatened ecosystems, as well as the incidental impact of emissions caused by the extraction and transportation of the coal.

The conditions of approval did not account for the emissions caused by the burning of the coal either in Australia or the places to which the coal was exported.

Mr Hunt has given the go-ahead for the biggest coal mine to exist in Australia, and one of the biggest in the world. The project is capable of producing 60 million tonnes of coal per year in its lifespan of more than 60 years from six open-cut mines and five underground mines, covering an area of 200 square kilometres.

When operating at full capacity, it has been estimated that the Carmichael mine will have the capacity to generate 128 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, the equivalent of about a quarter of Australia's emissions generated from the burning of fossil fuels. As previously stated, this information has been ignored when imposing conditions on the establishment of the mine.

Knowing what we do about the imperatives of climate change, approving a vast new coal plant on the eve of the Paris climate talks sends mixed messages about the sincerity of  Australia's commitment to reducing global emissions.

Approval of Adani flies in the face of the fact that a major strategic issue both for Australia and the planet is managing the termination of existing coal plants, and the provision of a plan for the transition to a low carbon future. This is necessary if we are to reduce our level of global warming to below 2 degrees centigrade, which science tells us we must do if we are to avoid the impacts of runaway climate change.

Unfortunately there is no global police force to hold countries, including ours, to account, and commitment can wane when national commercial interests are at stake. 

The most powerful tool at our disposal to ensure government commitment is public opinion. That is why, in this case, commitment to climate change needs grassroots support.

We know that the general public wants global emissions reduced and they are in favour of clean energy.

We need to continue to let our leaders know that, just as we  we need to continue to make it clear to Mr Hunt that we expect real commitment to climate action, which includes no new coal.

To show your commitment to a future where where global warming is contained at a safe level, join the People's Climate March starting today at Cook Park at 10am.