The chief of BHP Billiton's coal division says the mining industry is losing the public relations battle on climate change.

Coal boss Mike Henry says BHP needs to unite behind better messaging.

“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 at an American Chamber of Commerce event in Brisbane.

“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.”

Mr Henry acknowledged that the outlook for thermal coal in particular was somewhere from “flat” to “slightly growing”.

Still, he believes the resource will play an important role in meeting the world’s energy needs.

“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.”

It comes just a few days after the launch of the Minerals Council of Australia’s “Little Black Rock” advertising campaign.

Mr Henry said convincing the public that coal is beneficial should not be a difficult task.

“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.”

Mr Henry reported that BHP Billiton had spent almost half a billion dollars since 2007 on expanding its operations while also reducing emissions.