Climate Change Committee questions Cumbria coal mine decision
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has written to communities secretary Robert Jenrick to express concern over his decision to approve a new coal mine in Cumbria.
The CCC letter says the mine will “increase global emissions and have an appreciable impact on the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets”, while giving “a negative impression of the UK’s climate priorities in the year of COP26”.
It also emphasises that while local democracy “has an important role to play”, local decisions “can have national and international implications”.
We ve published a letter to Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State, MHCLG, about his decision not to call in, or review, the recent decision of Cumbria County Council to grant planning permission to a new Cumbrian coal mine. More: https://t.co/jHper392tRpic.twitter.com/jVN0I4WLGe
Cabinet ministers clash over Cumbrian coal mine
COP26 president Alok Sharma and communities secretary Robert Jenrick have clashed over Jenrick’s decision to approve a new coal mine in Cumbria.
According to
The Times, Sharma is “apoplectic” with Jenrick for not blocking the proposals. A civil servant said: “There was just disbelief that a decision like this could have been made.”
The proposed development is for a large underground metallurgical, or coking coal , coal mine. However its progress has been hindered by campaigns from environmental activists who fear that the facility could hinder the UK’s net zero goals and discredit its position as COP26 host, with the rescheduled event to take place in Glasgow in November.
Plans for the £165M Woodhouse Colliery were approved by Cumbria County Council in October. The government could have called in the plans to make a final