UK government gives nod to new coal mine, enraging climate groups
January 8, 2021, 12:03 pm

UK government gives nod to new coal mine, enraging climate groups

A Union flag flies over a house in Whitehaven, Britain February 13, 2017. Picture taken February 13, 2017. (Reuters)

Britain on Thursday effectively approved a new deep coal mine in northwest England, opting to leave the decision to the local authority which has already given the provisional green light.

The decision to allow the country’s first new deep coal mine in decades came after a long-running campaign against the project by environmental groups, which accused the government of undermining its climate pledges.

The project, whose developer is Australian-owned West Cumbria Mining, will be located off the coast near the town of Whitehaven and aims to supply European and UK steelmakers with metallurgical coal.

London said Thursday it has decided to leave the decision to the Cumbria County Council, which already initially approved the facility in October but has yet to give the final go-ahead.

“Planning decisions should be made at a local level wherever possible,” a UK government spokesman said.

A council spokesman told AFP that it would now work with West Cumbria Mining to formalize legal planning obligations, before it can issue formal permission for the development.

West Cumbria Mining wants to start work on the site in early 2021 with production beginning around 18 months later, extracting about 2.7 million tons of coal per year and creating around 500 jobs.

The initial permit was granted on the condition that production stops by the year 2049 -- just one year before the UK government aims to achieve carbon neutrality in Britain.

The government’s decision sparked fury from environmental campaigners ahead of the UN’s COP26 global climate change summit, which the UK government will host in Glasgow later this year.

“Allowing coal to be extracted from this proposed mine for over a quarter of a century completely undermines the government’s credibility on the climate crisis -- especially ahead of the crucial UN summit later this year,” said Friends of the Earth campaigner Tony Bosworth.

“Global leadership on the climate emergency means leaving coal in the ground, where it belongs.”

Local pressure group South Lakes Action on Climate Change said it was “an outrageous decision that flies in the face of the UK’s promises to address climate change and their claim to leadership through this year’s COP 26.”

source: AFP

Image source: Reuters

Levant

Beijing threatens ‘heavy price’ if US envoy Kelly Craft travels to Taiwan Percy Pigs in Ireland hit by Brexit red tape as M&S warns of tariffs

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.