The British government greenlit its first new deep coal mine in decades to produce fuel for steel-making, a decision which has drawn criticism from opponents wanting the country to meet climate targets. ."This coal will be used for the production of steel and would otherwise need to be imported,” a British Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities spokesperson told Reuters. .“It will not be used for power generation.”.The Woodhouse Colliery, to be developed by West Cumbria Mining in northwest England, seeks to extract coking coal for the steel industry. The mine is expected to create about 500 jobs..Unveiled in 2014, the Woodhouse Colliery has faced criticism from the Climate Change Committee, opposition parties, climate change activist Greta Thunberg, and Greenpeace..The spokesperson said it “seeks to be net zero in its operations and is expected to contribute to local employment and the wider economy.".The majority of the coal produced is expected to be exported to Europe. Planning documents show more than four-fifths of the coal produced is forecast to be sent to an export terminal on England's east coast in five years. .Greenhouse gas emissions from burning coal are considered the largest contributor to climate change. Experts state taking countries off coal is considered critical to meeting global climate targets..University College London resources and environmental policy professor Paul Elkins said the Woodhouse Colliery will not benefit the economy or environment. ."Approving it also trashes the UK’s reputation as a global leader on climate action and opens it up to well justified charges of hypocrisy — telling other countries to ditch coal while not doing so itself," said Elkins. .The British government passed laws mandating it bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. .Climate Change Committee chair John Gummer criticized the project’s approval. ."Phasing out coal use is the clearest requirement of the global effort towards Net Zero,” said Gummer. .“This decision grows global emissions."
