West Cumbria Coal Mine

That this House is dismayed by the decision to approve a new deep coal mine in West Cumbria; believes it is a dangerous backwards step in the fight against climate change; further believes it undermines the UK’s COP26 Presidency, damaging the Government’s international credibility; notes that it both contradicts Climate Change Committee advice to phase out all coal, including coking coal, by 2035 and jeopardizes the UK’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; implores the Government to incentivise steel manufacturers to adopt and innovate low-carbon production methods, including hydrogen direct reduction and electric arc technology; further implores the Government to utilise Cumbria’s boundless renewable resources of water, wind and solar to generate sustainable jobs and sustainable energy as part of a Green Industrial Revolution; stresses that national Government must intervene on issues of global climate justice; and urges the Government to reverse its decision and call-in the Woodhouse Colliery planning application.