Four months after the UK government announced it was phasing out coal, campaigners are digging in to stop what they say will be the devastation of opencast mining at a beauty spot in the north-east of England. Local people and environmentalists have 16 working days left to stop the first spade going into the ground on 71 hectares of grassland, fields and woods in the Pont valley, Co Durham. Under planning permission, the mining company Banks Group has to start work by 3 June or their licence to start mining the site will expire. Campaigners say the “hit-and-run” nature of opencast mining, and the UK government’s commitment to phasing out coal, makes any new mine an anachronism. Protesters are planning a series of public demonstrations in the days leading up to the deadline.
Guardian 14th May 2018 read more »
Two new studies have this week highlighted the growing ‘carbon bubble’ risks faced by many energy firms and investors, warning that investment in new fossil fuel power plants could result in stranded assets if international climate commitments are honoured. The Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford yesterday announced the results of a new paper, which suggests up to a fifth of global power generation assets could be stranded if the world were to meet its climate goals.
Business Green 15th May 2018 read more »
