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UK government gives nod to new coal mine, enraging climate groups

Britain on Thursday effectively approved a new deep coal mine in northwest England, opting to leave the decision to the local authority which has already given the provisional green light.
The decision to allow the country’s first new deep coal mine in decades came after a long-running campaign against the project by environmental groups, which accused the government of undermining its climate pledges.
The project, whose developer is Australian-owned West Cumbria Mining, will be located off the coast near the town of Whitehaven and aims to supply European and UK steelmakers with metallurgical coal.
London said Thursday it has decided to leave the decision to the Cumbria County Council, which already initially approved the facility in October but has yet to give the final go-ahead.
“Planning decisions should be made at a local level wherever possible,” a UK government spokesman said.
A council spokesman told AFP that it would now work with West Cumbria Mining to formalize legal planning obligations, before it can issue formal permission for the development.
West Cumbria Mining wants to start work on the site in early 2021 with production beginning around 18 months later, extracting about 2.7 million tons of coal per year and creating around 500 jobs.
The initial permit was granted on the condition that production stops by the year 2049 -- just one year before the UK government aims to achieve carbon neutrality in Britain.
The government’s decision sparked fury from environmental campaigners ahead of the UN’s COP26 global climate change summit, which the UK government will host in Glasgow later this year.
“Allowing coal to be extracted from this proposed mine for over a quarter of a century completely undermines the government’s credibility on the climate crisis -- especially ahead of the crucial UN summit later this year,” said Friends of the Earth campaigner Tony Bosworth.
“Global leadership on the climate emergency means leaving coal in the ground, where it belongs.”
Local pressure group South Lakes Action on Climate Change said it was “an outrageous decision that flies in the face of the UK’s promises to address climate change and their claim to leadership through this year’s COP 26.”
source: AFP
Image source: Reuters
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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