No coal in Cumbria, as the Whitehaven coalmine’s planning application has been abandoned, ending a process that could have created the UK’s first deep coalmine in 30 years.
As previously reported on this web site, the Cumbrian mine was ruled unlawful last September, with the judge agreeing with Friends of the Earth, which brought the judicial review. The company has now written to the government withdrawing its planning application.
The mine was initially approved by the Conservative government in 2022, but Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change argued the environmental impact of burning extracted coal had not been taken into account. Friends of the Earth activist Tony Bosworth said the group was “delighted” by the news…Congratulations to all the brilliant local campaigners who fought so powerfully to stop this mine,” he said. “The focus must now switch to ensuring local people get the green jobs they so
urgently need – areas like West Cumbria have been left behind for far too long.”
Meanwhile The Guardian reported on 5 April that Helge Lund, the chair of BP, has announced his intention to resign in 2026. This decision follows pressure from hedge fund Elliott Investment management L.P., which, along with other investors, has voiced strong opposition to BP’s net zero goals.
This shift comes amid a broader trend where major corporations are re- evaluating their commitments to ESG principles, including initiatives focused on diversity and inclusion. ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. ESG investing refers to how companies score on these responsibility metrics and standards for potential investments.