Cumbria Coal Mine: a testament to the influence or insignificance of public opinion?

As recent Newcastle University graduates, our proximity to Cumbria, and thus the highly public, environmentally-centred row over the construction of Cumbria Coal Mine meant that we closely followed the controversy throughout our time at university. Now, just two days from the beginning of the public inquiry expected to last until mid-September, its significance as a precedent of the value of public opinion is clearer than ever.

Following identification of Whitehaven West Cumbria as a potential coal extraction site, the project was initially greeted with local enthusiasm in anticipation the creation of 500 jobs in a region facing economic decline. In 2019, Cumbria County Council voted unanimously in favour of the mine.

Following this, however, an influx of objections from the general public led to the decision by Robert Jenrick, local secretary of state, to hold a public inquiry. The incompatibility of the project with the government’s commitment to net zero by 2050, and blatant undermining of the UK’s climate reputation ahead of Cop26 led to mounting public pressure which culminated in what may serve as an exemplar of the power of the individual in tackling climate change.

The influence of public opinion alongside larger organisational bodies became increasingly apparent as the case progressed. A second council meeting following the 2019 net zero emissions law saw another unanimous vote in favour of the mine, and a rethink in 2020 following the release of a report by think tank Green Alliance in 2020, which estimated that the mine would produce 8.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually, merely resulted in a series of strategic claims that the mine would actually be carbon negative, disregarding, as pointed out by Tim Farron, local MP, the actual burning of coal.

However, the report and its erroneous rebuttal generated local publicity which quickly gained momentum as petitions and public protests were launched opposing the construction. The story eventually garnered international attention, a number of high profile individuals including government scientific advisors, US experts, and renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg publicly denouncing the project. Culminating in the Climate Change Committee urging government reconsideration in early 2021, it was undoubtedly the pervasive public opposition to Cumbria Coal Mine which led to Jenrick’s decision in March to hold a public inquiry, and, following continued protests, the withdrawal of Cumbria County Council’s approval in early May.

The inquiry’s verdict thus holds significance not only for Cumbria Coal Mine, but in the climate crisis as a whole. The case attests to the power of the general public to influence key individuals and promote change on a vast scale, and may, should the project be discontinued, inhibit annual additions of 8.4 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Should the mine be given the go-ahead, the contention will raise an interesting question surrounding the legitimacy of the UK’s climate strategy, and perhaps turn public attention towards a discussion as to how climate targets should apply to different industrial sectors.