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<p>The UK is a global leader in the fight against climate change: since 1990 emissions
from the electricity sector have decreased by 72%, while the economy has grown by
two thirds. The UK was the first major economy in the world to set a legally binding
target to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.</p><p>In line with our
Net Zero target, the Government has committed to phasing out unabated coal-fired power
generation by 2025, and is consulting on moving this date forward to 2024. The UK
has already made great progress in decarbonising its energy system, with coal’s share
of electricity generation falling from 40% in 2012 to less than 3% in 2019. The UK
Government has also shown strong leadership internationally on the shift from coal
power generation to clean energy. We co-launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance with
Canada, which has now grown to over 100 members and is leading the COP26 Energy Transition
campaign to accelerate the global transition to clean energy. The Government have
also announced that we will no longer provide any new direct government support for
the fossil fuel energy sector overseas.</p><p>The planning application for the Whitehaven
coal mine relates to metallurgical (coking) coal, rather than coal for electricity
generation, and the Government recognises that some industrial processes, including
steel production, are particularly difficult to decarbonise as there is currently
no commercially viable alternative to coal in blast furnaces. Our priority is supporting
innovation to help carbon-intensive industries to decarbonise further. We are taking
steps to achieve this through initiatives such as the Industrial Energy Transformation
Fund, the Industrial Clusters Mission and the Clean Steel Fund. In addition, ahead
of COP26, we are working in partnership with other countries to accelerate the pace
of industrial decarbonisation, which includes the steel sector. The UK is coordinating
action on the research, development and demonstration of new low carbon technologies
with other countries, as well as exploring policy options for creating international
markets for low carbon industrial products.</p><p>Planning decisions are made at a
local level and this application is a matter for Cumbria County Council.</p>
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