he Welsh Liberal Democrats have reiterated their opposition to the expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine in Neath Port Talbot Council. Addressing a protest in front of the Senedd Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds stated that if we are to stand any hope of tackling climate change before it’s too late, the coal must be left in the ground.
The protest in front of the Senedd in Cardiff saw multiple
Welsh climate groups attend.
The expansion of Aberpergwm Coal Mine has been at the centre
of a row between the UK and Welsh Governments, with the Welsh Government
claiming it does not have the legal authority to block the mine’s expansion,
while the UK Coal Authority has insisted that the Welsh Government could in
fact stop the development.
The new license, which was approved by the Coal Authority in
January will allow Aberpergwm Mine to extract another forty million tonnes of
coal. The development could release up to 1.17 million tonnes of very strong greenhouse
gases, including methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS
said:
“It is absolutely ludicrous that in the middle of a
climate emergency we are considering expanding coal mining in Wales. The Welsh
Liberal Democrats are absolutely clear, coal should be left in the ground. 2050
is no longer in the distant future.
“While our opponents will try and paint us as being
against job creation this is absolutely not the case. We believe the people of
Glynneath deserve high-skilled future-proof jobs, not ones in a declining
industry that will last only a decade at most.
“With plans to move steelworks in the UK to Green
Hydrogen by the mid-2030s, we are calling on the Welsh and UK Governments to locate
some of its Green Hydrogen projects in Glynneath, bringing long term employment
to the community and ensuring no one is left without a job as industries begin
to change.
“While the Welsh Government’s powers over this affair
remain unclear, one thing for certain is the UK Government could veto the
development if it wished to do so. Just months after claiming a big win at
COP26 on the issue of coal mining, Boris Johnson needs to put his money where
his mouth is or risk undermining both the UKs climate goals and its global
leadership on the Green agenda.”
Stop the New Coal mine in Neath! (welshlibdems.wales)
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