The proposed new colliery in Cumbria is “absolutely indefensible,” said Lord Deben, chairman of the Climate Change Committee.
Following a planning study in 2021, a decision is expected in mid-July on whether or not to grant a construction permit for the new mine at Whitehaven to extract coal for steel production.
Environmentalists have warned that demand for coking coal for steel is declining, that the coal from the Cumbria mine is largely unused in Britain’s steel industry and that it will not replace imported Russian coal.
As for the Cumbria colliery, let’s be absolutely clear, it’s absolutely indefensible
Lord Deben said the invasion of Ukraine meant the UK would have to make decisions to protect energy supplies.
That’s what the government had done with a focus on renewables and nuclear power, he said.
But he said: “As for the colliery in Cumbria, let’s be absolutely clear, it’s absolutely indefensible.
“First of all, 80% of what it produces is exported, so it’s not something largely for internal consumption.
“It won’t contribute anything to our household needs in the terms we’re talking about, the cost of energy and the rest.”
He said the mine’s backers claimed it would supply coal to a particular industry currently imported from elsewhere, but not that it would reduce the amount of coal produced — largely in America.
And he warned it would hurt the UK’s leadership on climate change, saying: “It just means we create another example of Britain saying one thing and doing another. We don’t need this coal mine.”
But he said the government needs to find a way to ensure that the jobs potentially created by the mine are replaced with alternative green jobs.
Lord Deben said he was not concerned about the move to keep a coal-fired power station open longer than planned this winter to maintain energy supplies, despite a commitment to end Britain’s coal-fired power stations by October 2024 – as long as it was closely monitored. held thereon.
“We are seriously threatened by the invasion of Ukraine by the Russians, and in those circumstances the government must ensure that we keep the lights on.
“So I don’t think it’s unacceptable to say right now, since we have this (power plant), now is not the time to make its use impossible. I hope we don’t have to use it.”
And it wouldn’t stand in the way of investing in renewables and nuclear power eliminating the need for coal-fired power plants, I suggested.
Tony Bosworth, champion of Friends of the Earth energy, said: “Lord Deben is right: The case against a new coal mine is overwhelming in terms of climate. And the market for its coal is shrinking before it even opens. Saying no to this mine should be an open and closed case for a government that takes the climate crisis seriously.
“Instead, it should invest in green jobs in West Cumbria, develop our massive renewable resources and insulate people’s homes to lower energy bills.”