London, Sept 19 (Alliance News): The High Court in London has declared that the approval of Britain’s first new deep coal mine in decades was unlawful, following a legal challenge by environmental campaigners.
The court’s decision, delivered on Friday, overturns the Conservative government’s 2022 approval of a coking coal mine in northwest England.
The challenge was brought by Friends of the Earth and South Lakeland Action on Climate Change, who argued that the planning authorities failed to adequately consider the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels, not just their extraction.
This ruling is the first since the Supreme Court mandated that the impacts of burning fossil fuels must be assessed in planning decisions.
Friends of the Earth senior lawyer Niall Toru highlighted that the ruling could have significant international implications, influencing similar cases against fossil fuel projects worldwide.
West Cumbria Mining, the developer behind the project, argued that the mine—intended for extracting coking coal used in steel manufacturing—would operate as a “net zero” mine.
The company contended that the project would not lead to a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
However, Judge David Holgate found the assumption that the mine would not contribute to a net increase in emissions was legally flawed.
The ruling challenges the claim that the mine would be environmentally benign.
West Cumbria Mining has indicated it will review the judgment’s implications but has refrained from further comment at this time.
