Climate Politics
UK OKs First Coal Mine in 30 Years, Weakening Climate Push
- Whitehaven project will sell coal to overseas buyers for steel
- Government’s advisory climate body condemned the decision
The Woodhouse Colliery site in Whitehaven, UK.
Photographer: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
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The UK approved opening its first deep coal mine in more than 30 years, risking backlash from activists portraying the project as a backward step in meeting ambitious climate goals.
The Woodhouse Colliery project in Whitehaven, northern England, can go ahead, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said in a statement on Wednesday. West Cumbria Mining Ltd. plans to sell coal from the mine primarily to overseas buyers for making steel.