The British government has said it is issuing coal mining permits for the first time in 30 years.
A project for a coal mine in north-west Cumbria has been approved by Development and Housing Minister Michael Gove, the UK government said in a statement.
“The coal will be used for steel production. Because if it is not produced domestically, the steel must be imported from abroad. The above coal will not be used for power generation,” the statement said.
British media reported that the £165m mine was expected to produce 2.8m tonnes of coal a year and stressed that the government had issued an operating license for a coal mine for the first time in 30 years.
Experts say the mine, once operational, will cause 400,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year.
Greenpeace released a statement saying the UK has chosen to be a “hypocritical climate superpower” rather than a leader in climate awareness.
The UK government has previously said the country is committed to zero carbon emissions by 2050.
