It's been a tough few weeks for our coal industry.

First there was a court ruling blocking a new mine on climate change grounds, then one of the world's largest producers, Glencore, capped output growth, and finally China was seen to be slowing down Australian imports.

The developments are symptoms of the fossil fuel's decline and likely signal headwinds for the industry. Australia, which is the world's second-biggest supplier of coal used for power generation and steel making, has some $70 billion of new coal projects in the pipeline, according to government estimates.

The local coal industry has had a tough few weeks - and things are unlikely to get any easier. Credit:Peter Braig

"They're probably game-changing events from what we once knew of coal," said David Lennox, a mining analyst at consultancy Fat Prophets. Recent developments should be viewed as part of the fuel's gradual decline from a position of dominance in the global power mix, he added.