Britain’s High Court has ruled that the approval of the country’s first new deep coal mine in decades was unlawful, following a legal challenge from environmental campaigners. The case was brought forward by Friends of the Earthand South Lakeland Action on Climate Change, challenging the 2022 decision by the former Conservative government to approve a coking coal mine in northwest England.
The British government decided to drop its defense after a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, which stated that planning authorities must consider the environmental impact of burning, not just extracting, fossil fuels when making decisions. This case is the first to be decided since that ruling, marking a significant precedent.
According to Friends of the Earth senior lawyer Niall Toru, the ruling against the mining company could have international ramifications, as similar challenges are being made against fossil fuel projects worldwide.
West Cumbria Mining, the company behind the project, argued that the mine would be a “net zero” mine, extracting coking coal for steel manufacturing rather than for energy production. However, Judge David Holgate ruled that the assumption of no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions was legally flawed.
West Cumbria Mining has stated it will review the implications of the High Court judgment and declined further comment.
