Despite many countries’ efforts to ramp up renewable-energy use, the demand for affordable energy is rising so rapidly that coal production is set to continue. The Carmichael project, an Indian venture based in Australia, could become the largest coal mine to be developed anywhere since the Paris climate agreement went into force in 2016 (see go.nature.com/2shmiyu). Scientists must step in to help bring international demands for coal under control.

Australia’s biggest coal-mining company, Glencore, announced last month that it would cap production because of societal concerns about climate change (see go.nature.com/2seent7). And a court turned down a huge coal-mining project in Hunter Valley on the same grounds. However, action by local judges and chief executives is not enough.

Science can inform courts, companies and politicians on the types and scale of mining projects that can support growth in developing countries (S. Kartha et al. Nature Clim. Change 8, 348–349; 2018), and on which ones would need to be stopped or capped to mitigate climate change (an emissions–development trade-off). Such analysis would take into account cross-national emissions budgets and the difficulties faced by regions of energy poverty.