We oppose a new opencast coal mine in England on climate grounds

In April this year, we saw the groundbreaking headlines ‘British power generation achieves first ever coal-free day’. For the first time since the Industrial Revolution, the UK power network didn’t need any coal. This milestone is part of the inevitable trajectory towards coal coming off the UK power grid entirely in the next few years. Coal is one of the dirtiest forms of energy production used in the UK in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions it releases. We don’t see a future for coal as part of the UK’s energy system because removing it is one of the easiest ways to achieve the urgent emissions reductions required in the UK and beyond.

Coal power has been declining substantially for the last few years, and in April this year coal use to generate electricity was 45% lower than it was in April 2012. However Banks Group have applied for permission to open a new opencast coal mine in Druridge Bay, Northumberland, with current plans being for most of the coal mined to go to UK power stations.

In recent weeks there has been a public inquiry into this application due to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid MP, deciding to ‘call-in’ the application. This means he has taken the decision into his own hands. In his ‘call-in’ letter, the Secretary of State cited climate change concerns as part of his reasoning. As far as we are aware, this is the first ever time that climate change concerns had been part of a call-in decision.

The RSPB has been involved in the Inquiry due to our objection to the proposed new mine, and we have submitted evidence highlighting how a new opencast coal mine would be incompatible with the UK’s climate change commitments, and inconsistent with Government plans to phase out coal power by 2025 at the latest.

Climate change is the greatest long-term threat to wildlife, and the significant harm that could be caused to wildlife by emissions often cannot be avoided, mitigated nor compensated for.

We will be following the progress of the inquiry and any future decision with great interest, and we’ll keep you updated.