Government approval for West Cumbria Mining (WCM)’s plans for a deep coal mine under the seabed off the Cumbrian coast could affect the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets.
COP26
Climate change committee (CCC) chairman Lord Debden raised the concerns following government secretary Robert Jenrick’s decision in early January 2021 not to call in, or review, Cumbria County Council’s decision to grant WCM planning permission for the coal mine.
Lord Debden wrote in his letter that the coal mine could also weaken the UK’s presidency of COP26 – the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference – due to be held in Glasgow from 1 to 12 November 2021.
EMISSIONS
The letter, dated 29 January, comes two weeks after WCM submitted two applications for licences to the Coal Authority.
Lord Debden said that Mr Jenrick’s decision highlighted the “critical importance” of local councillors and planning authorities to consider fully the implications of their decisions on climate targets. He also called for a discussion on guidance provided to councils.
Lord Debden added that while local democracy had an important role to play, local decisions could also have national and international implications.
“The opening of a new deep coking coal mine in Cumbria will increase global emissions and have an appreciable impact on the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets.
“The mine is projected to increase UK emissions by 0.4Mt CO2e per year.
“This is greater than the level of annual emissions we have projected from all open UK coal mines to 2050.
“The decision to award planning permission to 2049 will commit the UK to emissions from coking coal, for which there may be no domestic use after 2035. 85% of the coal is planned for export to Europe.”
HYDROGEN
The committee’s sixth carbon budget advice states that coking coal should only be used in steelmaking beyond 2035 if a very high proportion of the associated carbon emissions was captured and stored.
The advice adds that coking coal use in steelmaking could be displaced completely by 2035, using a combination of hydrogen direct reduction and electric arc furnace technology to meet the CCC’s recommendation that UK ore-based steelmaking be near-zero emissions by 2035.
Lord Debden said that it was not the CCC’s role to act as a regulator or a planning authority, but he urged Mr Jenrick to consider further the UK’s policy towards all new coal developments, for whatever purpose.
“I acknowledge that there are always inter-relationships and trade-offs with wider objectives, including the notable increase in local employment expected from this commercial development.
“It is for ministers to decide how the effort to reach net zero should be allocated across the economy, but it is also important to note that this decision gives a negative impression of the UK’s climate priorities in the year of COP26.”
WCM, backed by Australian investment company EMR Capital Resources, plans to open the coking coal mine under the Irish Sea off the coast of Cumbria near Whitehaven.