They may range from issues to do with air quality, noise abatement or water management and acquisition rights.

However according to a new report the IPC should be concentrating more of it's efforts on green house gas emissions (GHG) when it comes to assessing new mining projects and mine extensions. Not at the expense of other conditions but in addition to those already listed.

The report, written by Griffith University Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe, finds the Commission has "comprehensively failed to require mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions".

One of his major concerns is the GHG emissions from the actual mine site and its operations - called Scope 1 and 2.

Scope 3 is the actual use of the fossil fuels either in Australia but in the case of our thermal coal production the vast percentage of which is consumed overseas in Japan, Korea and China.

Professor Lowe's report is based on the analysis of operational emissions produced from the eight major fossil fuel projects approved by the IPC since the authority was created.

Four of those projects United Wambo, Rix's Creek South, Maxwell Underground and Mangoola Continued Operations are located in the Upper Hunter.

He found the eight projects will create nearly 90 million tonnes of GHG emissions - the same amount the NSW Government's Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is expected to abate between now and 2030.

Prof. Lowe said based on the most generous overall assessment, the IPC has only implemented conditions that could lead to the abatement of 7.7 million tonnes out of a total of 1,387 million tonnes of all greenhouse emissions from the eight projects (Scope 1, 2 & 3).

While downstream (Scope 3) emissions constitute the lion's share of greenhouse gases to be released from the eight projects, the report demonstrates that nearly 90Mt of operational emissions (Scope 1 & 2) will also occur as direct emissions of methane and carbon dioxide at mining operations and emissions arising indirectly from electricity use.

The report states: "Even if it were considered acceptable to overlook the huge contribution to climate change of Scope 3 emissions from these projects, the Scope 1 and 2 emissions add up to 89 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent; that is nearly 20 per cent of Australia's total national emissions last year. Reducing or, ideally, eliminating those emissions would be a significant contribution to our obligation to help slow climate change."

Consideration of conditions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is a requirement of all IPC decisions about coal mining and coal seam gas projects.

However Professor Lowe's report shows the IPC has recommended vague, mostly unenforceable, conditions that have done little or nothing to abate operational emissions despite measures being available to prevent them.

Prof. Lowe recommends various mitigation options:

Scope 2 emissions could be dramatically reduced, almost eliminated, by mandating use of clean electricity from solar farms or wind turbines. That policy would reduce Scope 2 emissions from the projected 23 Mt to close to zero.

Reducing Scope 1 emissions requires using more efficient machinery, using vehicles that are either more efficient or powered by cleaner energy systems, and reducing or offsetting fugitive emissions say the report.

In response Stephen Galilee, CEO, NSW Minerals Council said "Reports by Lock the Gate are almost always misleading anti-jobs propaganda dressed up as research. This latest report is no different and it seeks to represent emissions generated overseas as NSW emissions. The reality is that NSW Government data shows fugitive emissions from coal mines have fallen by around 40% since 1990, during the same time period that coal production has increased significantly."