The man in charge of BHP Billiton's coal division has conceded the mining industry is losing the public relations battle in relation to climate change and needs to unite behind a common, more moderate, message.

Speaking to the American Chamber of Commerce in Brisbane, Mike Henry said the debate had been hijacked by extreme views on both sides and the sector needed to "put the facts on the table".

"It would be fair to say that as we stand here today, in the court of public opinion, the 'no coal' camp has been more effective," Mr Henry told the audience.

"Recent research conducted for the industry indicated that there is a widespread public view that coal use will be phased out over the next 10 to 20 years in favour of renewables.

"This is in part because of ineffective engagement by many participants in the broader fossil fuel energy value chain."

While acknowledging the outlook for thermal coal in particular ranged from "flat" to only "slightly growing", Mr Henry said the resource would continue to play an important role in meeting the energy needs of the world.

"We need to be more active and effective in building common ground with elements of civil society who can acknowledge the future role of coal and the benefits that flow from coal's ability to underpin affordable energy," he said.

"At the end of the day, no-one else will tell our story for us."

His rallying cry follows the recent launch of a major advertising campaign funded by the Minerals Council of Australia called "Little Black Rock".

The campaign, which features a voiceover explaining that coal creates "light and jobs" and contributes $40 billion a year to the Australian economy, was widely-ridiculed on social media and drew criticism from green groups.

The Australian Conservation Foundation was particularly strong in its condemnation, labelling the exercise "negligent" for glossing over the impact of mining on the environment and human health.

Despite the backlash, Mr Henry said convincing the public of the benefits of coal should not be a hard sell and he urged industry representatives to keep trying.

"No doubt there are some who will never accept this and who are ideologically resolved to eradicating coal," Mr Henry said.

"At the same time, I know that at the other ideological extremity, there are people who do not accept the wisdom of the world's preeminent scientists and who deny the existence of climate change, or at least the human contribution to it.

"Both of these positions involve blind faith and neither is grounded in good science."

In making his pitch to so-called moderates in the community, Mr Henry reported that BHP Billiton had been able to expand its operations while also reducing emissions after spending almost half a billion dollars in new technology since 2007.