WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The Sierra Club said in Washington it commends a British decision to financially support new coal projects only in rare circumstances.
"The Sierra Club commends the United Kingdom for their announcement today that they will move beyond financing the dirty coal that is destabilizing our climate," Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said in a statement Wednesday.
Brune said there's a growing consensus on the need to stop spending public money on coal-fired power plants.
British Energy Secretary Ed Davey made the announcement on the sidelines of a climate change conference in Warsaw, Poland. The Sierra Club lauded the development as part of a trend established by the U.S. government, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.
The International Energy Agency said global coal demand needs to fall by 45 percent from its 2009 levels by 2050 to keep climate change in check.
"It's time to clean up the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our health and our children's future, and coal is the first thing that needs to go," Brune said.
