The UK should “set an example” to the rest of the world by not opening new coal mines and oil fields even if this means importing fossil fuels from abroad, a former cabinet minister has said.
Ex-justice secretary Robert Buckland said the UK should lead the fight against climate change after the COP26 agreement on eliminating fossil fuels was watered down over the weekend.
At the end of the summit, India and China pushed for the language in the final deal on coal subsidies to change from “phase out” to “phase down”.
Critics said the deal does not go far enough and marks a blow to the target of capping global warming at 1.5C.
It come as plans for a £165 million coal mine in Cumbria are being considered by the Planning Inspectorate, while the Cambo Oil Field off the coast of Scotland is awaiting approval by the Oil and Gas Authority.
“What I’d say about the Cumbria mine is that of course coking coal would have been mined from it, which is for the steel industry,” Mr Buckland told the BBC’s Westminster Hour.
“The problem is, if we don’t take it from Cumbria, do we then import it from another part of the world and have the same ecological and environmental impact, it’s not an easy solution. I think on balance, the UK, on the principle of charity begins at home, then the UK needs to set an example and therefore I think the balance probably tips against the exploitation of Cambo and the Cumbrian coal mine.”
Boris Johnson said the COP26 agreement “sounded the death knell for coal power”. Despite watered down language in the commitment, it is the first time plans to reduce coal have been mentioned in such a climate deal.
It comes as Martin Pei, the head of Swedish steel giant SSAB, called for an international tax on carbon to ensure that the industry cuts its environmental impact. The metals industry accounts for an estimated eight per cent of global carbon emissions.
He said that SSAB plans to produce 1.5 million tonnes of “fossil-free steel” per year by 2026, by using electricity to produce hydrogen by splitting water molecules.
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But he said that world governments need to step in to help make the case for carbon reduction by setting a price on each tonne that companies emit.
“(What is required) in order to make this transition possible and quick enough, which we need, is to set a price on emissions,” he said. “Ideally, this would have been better if you could do it globally, and everybody sets the same price. But that is, of course, very tough.”
