UK government announces ban on new coal mines

LONDON: The UK announced on Thursday that it will introduce legislation to ban new coal mines, as the Labour government intensifies its efforts to make Britain a leader in clean energy.

The government stated it will unveil the new law to restrict the future licensing of new coal mines "as soon as possible," calling it a "crucial step" in tackling climate change.

This announcement follows the closure of Britain's last coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, in October, making the UK the first G7 country to end its reliance on coal for electricity.

In a landmark ruling in September, British courts overturned a permit granted by the previous Conservative government for a project in Whitehaven, Cumbria, which was set to become the country's first new coal mine in 30 years. The mine would have produced metallurgical coal used solely for steelmaking.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks stated that "consigning coal power to the past" would "pave the way for a clean, secure energy system that will protect billpayers and create a new generation of skilled workers."

Coal has gone from generating around 40 percent of the UK's electricity supply in 2012 to zero percent today, the government noted.

Labour won the July general election with a promise to be more ambitious in policies aimed at meeting Britain's climate change commitments, including a pledge to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday speaking in Baku, Azerbaijan at the UN climate change summit, said the UK aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 81 percent from 1990 levels by 2035, as part of plans to reach net-zero by 2050.

The centre-left government has also lifted an effective Tory ban on new onshore wind projects and ended new oil and gas exploration licences in the North Sea.

By RSS/AFP