Reliance on coal must end, says Alok Sharma – Friends of the Earth reacts

Responding to the president of the UN climate talks, Alok Sharma, who today urged nations to “consign coal to history” ahead of November’s summit, Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Rachel Kennerley said:

“The UK government loves to boast of success on climate well before credit is due. Trumped up achievements on coal are almost laughable, given that plans for a new mine in Cumbria were reluctantly called in for a public inquiry just two months ago.

“Alok Sharma shouts loud about helping countries move to cleaner energy, all while the government pumps cash into dirty gas extraction in Mozambique. Using taxpayer’s money to prop up a project like this hardly shows a government supporting a move away from fossil fuels.

“The UK must take full responsibility for its role as one of the planet’s biggest polluters and make its fair contribution towards curbing climate breakdown. This means making big cuts to carbon emissions, creating green jobs, and offering financial support to help other countries meet their climate goals.”