Coal remains one of the biggest contributors to climate change, with its combustion responsible for 40% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions*. Coal extraction and use also damage landscapes, threaten wildlife, cause pollution and leave nearby communities to deal with the legacy of abandoned mines. Coal Action Network is working to change this by campaigning to end coal use in power generation, cement making, and steel production, while opposing coal extraction and imports in the UK and supporting communities affected by past and present coal activities.
Support from JRCT has meant the organisation has expanded its work through a £363,222 grant over 36 months. Coal Action Network is funded through the Better Economies strand of JRCT’s Sustainable Future programme, which focuses on addressing the true costs and risks of resource depletion, climate change and other environmental challenges.
Plans to expand the dormant Glan Lash opencast coal mine in Carmarthenshire would have allowed the extraction of a further 85,000 tonnes of coal, Coal Action Network said. They said the proposals would have subjected nearby residents to six more years of dust, noise and landscape disruption, while putting ancient woodland and habitat for the endangered Marsh Fritillary butterfly at risk.
Coal Action Network worked alongside residents and grassroots campaigners to oppose both applications. The team challenged claims that the coal would not be burned, provided evidence to decision-makers and coordinated hundreds of public objections.
Carmarthenshire Council refused the applications, preventing the UK's final live proposal for a new or expanded opencast coal mine. The decision protected local wildlife and communities while enabling restoration work to continue.
Communities living near Ffos-y-fran, the UK's largest opencast coal mine, were left facing environmental damage and ongoing safety risks after restoration of the site stalled and coal extraction was ongoing illegally for 15 months after 16 years of ongoing mining, Coal Action Network said.
Coal Action Network campaigned alongside UVAG, Good Law Project and Richard Buxton Solicitors to challenge ongoing activity at the site and push for restoration. The coalition launched a public accountability campaign calling for restoration funding, using media coverage, drone footage and public campaigning to highlight conditions at the site.
Coal Action Network proved illegal coal mining was taking place, forcing the Local Planning Authority to accept it. During those 15 months, the company mined and sold 640,000 tonnes of coal. Without action, that figure would have been much higher. Coal Action Network eventually began judicial review proceedings to stop the mining. Now, the company is trying to avoid paying the £91.2 million restoration bill, and Coal Action Network will soon launch a crowdfunder to represent local communities at the public inquiry and ensure the polluter pays principle is upheld.
Through its work, Coal Action Network has witnessed the environmental damage and long-term legacy of coal mining on nearby communities. It has also seen how changing political priorities can lead to renewed support for coal extraction.To help prevent this, the organisation campaigned for changes to the Coal Industry Act 1994, which still allows new coal extraction licences to be granted. Without legislative change, progress on climate action remained vulnerable to future political shifts.
Through sustained policy advocacy, Coal Action Network secured commitments from five political parties to ban new coal mines ahead of the most recent UK general election. The organisation also briefed policymakers to support delivery of these commitments.
The UK Government is expected to amend the Coal Industry Act 1994 this year, potentially making the UK one of the first countries to introduce a legal ban on new coal mines. Coal Action Network continues to advocate for alternatives to coal in the limited remaining industrial uses within the UK so that there’s reduced risk of offshoring coal mining.
*Source: International Energy Agency (IEA).