The UK should be leading the way in going fossil free, especially in light of the Paris Agreement’s goal to keep global temperature rise below 1.5C.

And yet the UK Government is proposing to “maximise economic recovery“ of offshore oil and gas, is going “all out” for fracking, and still permits opencast coal mining.

But campaigners are gearing up for action to put an end to the fossil fuel madness. This weekend hundreds of people are gathering near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales to shut down the UK’s largest coal mine at Ffos-y-fran – and that’s just to part of a mass global protest against fossil fuels that’s kicking off in May, coordinated by the BreakFree Coalition.

But it’s not just climate activists that are getting hot under the collar. Communities, councils, and devolved administrations across the UK are starting to rise to this challenge.

Scotland

• Fracking moratorium since 28th January 2015.

• Coal Bed Methane (CBM) moratorium since 28th January 2015.

• Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) moratorium since 8th October 2015.

• Opencast coal – no moratorium, but active calls by campaigners to put one in place. The main operator of opencast mines in Scotland, Scottish Coal, collapsed in 2012, and only a few mines are currently producing, but there are many mines still in the planning pipeline.

• The last coal power station in Scotland, Longannet, closed 24th March 2016.

Wales

• De facto fracking moratorium since February 2015.

• Unclear whether this moratorium also applies to Coal Bed Methane.

• Underground Coal Gasification moratorium since 25th March 2016.

• Opencast coal – the Welsh Assembly voted for a moratorium on 22nd April 2015 but the Welsh government has so far ignored this.

• Caerphilly Council rejected the proposed opencast coal mine at Nant Llesg in August 2015; mining company have appealed decision, but 9,000 have already objected to the plans.

• Other opencast coal mines are proposed at Varteg and Tower Colliery

• The last big coal power station in Wales, Aberthaw, is still operating despite being in breach of EU air pollution rules for 8 years – but has just announced that it will be winding down operations to only run in winter months. This is potentially a massive blow to opencast coal in Wales, which depends on Aberthaw as its main customer.

• Second turbine at Uskmouth coal power station switched back on 24th March 2016.

England

• No fracking for nearly 5 years, but Westminster government going “all out for shale”.

• Lancashire and Ryedale are the only two live fracking applications, after fracking was turned down in multiple places in the South East. 

• Lancashire Council rejected fracking in June 2015; Cuadrilla have appealed, with the planning inspector’s report expected by 4th July.

• Ryedale fracking decision will be on 20th May. (Ryedale District Council have opposed, but decision lies with North Yorkshire County Council).

• The Government has offered 159 new licenses in the 14th onshore licensing round.

• No restrictions on opencast coal mining; Friends of the Earth is campaigning for a change to English planning law to leave coal in the ground.

• Opencast coal mine proposed at Druridge Bay, decision by Northumberland Council expected this June.

• Other opencast coal mines proposed at Hilltop and Dewley Hill

• Westminster government pledged in Nov 2015 to phase out coal power stations by 2025, but say they will consult on this in “spring 2016”.

• Ferrybridge and Rugeley coal power stations have recently closed, as have most units of Eggborough and Fiddlers Ferry power stations; Drax and Lynemouth have part-converted to biomass; but other plants remain open.

• Two new gas power stations are under construction – Carrington and Trafford, both in Greater Manchester – and 13.6GW of new gas has been consented by the Government, which if all built could breach carbon targets.

Northern Ireland

• There are no active fracking sites in Northern Ireland. One site, Woodburn near Carrickfergus, is being prepared for exploratory drilling. The company, InfraStrata, claims they are exploring for conventional oil and gas.

• There is one coal-fired power station in Northern Ireland, AES Kilroot outside Carrickfergus. It is a dual coal and oil plant, primarily using coal, and additional gas turbines, with a small amount of biomass too.

• There is no coal extraction in Northern Ireland.

In short, there’s lots of things to be cheerful about – but lots of remaining challenges, too. We are campaigning to stop fracking and end opencast coal mining, as the UK’s next steps towards becoming a fossil free nation.

We want to see fossil fuel extraction end on UK soil by 2020, with a plan put in place for North Sea oil and gas to transition to North Sea wave and tidal, and for the country to power up with clean renewables.

And if you want to join up with others to help make the point, this weekend is the time to get started, by joining the Reclaim the Power action at Ffos-yfran. Or if you’re not in the UK, check out Break Free 2016 to find an action in your country.

Together, let’s make the UK, and the world, go fossil free!

Guy Shrubsole is a climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth.

Action

• Tell David Cameron not to overturn Lancashire’s fracking win when the planning inspector reports this summer

• Come to a rally to keep Ryedale frack free on 20th May.

• Come to a family beach party and picnic to save Druridge Bay from opencast coal mining on 30th May.

• This weekend is Reclaim the Power’s End Coal Now camp, protesting opencast coal in south Wales; also on Facebook for latest news and information.

• Other actions around the world at Break Free 2016.