Dear [insert name here],

I am writing to you with regards to your potential involvement in the Woodhouse Colliery at Whitehaven, Cumbria, and other coking coal projects. I am one of many people concerned that West Cumbria Mining is seeking insurance for the mine via the Lloyd’s of London marketplace. Michaele Hawkins has informed me that she believes that the West Cumbria Mine is not currently insured through the Lloyd’s market. We would like [name of insurance company] to go one step further and commit to not ever insuring this new mine, and no other future coking coal mine.

Woodhouse Colliery will be the first new deep coal mine in the UK for 30 years. There has been strong opposition to the project on environmental grounds. The Woodhouse Colliery will result in huge CO2e emissions. We cannot open new coal mines and avoid catastrophic climate change. This mine will extract 2.78 million tonnes of coal per year and is not compatible with the Paris Agreement or the UK 6th Carbon Budget.

Following a push from community campaigners, Robert Jenrick Secretary of State has called a Public Inquiry to look more closely into the project. In September 2020 Robert Jenrick ruled out the Highthorn opencast coal mine citing its environmental and climate impacts. This shows how the issues raised by campaigners are not only of local relevance, but they are nationally and internationally relevant.

Further to this, coal is the biggest contributor to anthropogenic climate change. Climate change is affecting communities in the Global South first and hardest, despite they are not the ones who have caused the problem. In the Global North, is it communities of colour and working class communities that are on the frontlines of climate change. The climate crisis is a justice issue.

We believe you should not insure the Woodhouse Colliery and any new coking coal mines on the following grounds:

•  The Woodhouse Colliery project is not compliant with the UK’s commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.
• The Woodhouse Colliery project will delay the shift to cleaner steel in the UK and Europe.
• Any new coking coal mine will lock the world into more CO2 emissions, make a transition to a low-carbon future even harder, and condemn many communities to lose their livelihoods due to runaway climate change.
• There needs to be no new policies or renewals of policies, for coal underwriting from today.

We hope you will be able to take a clear stance and rule out insuring the Woodhouse Colliery and any new coking coal mine.

Please could you confirm receipt of this email. I look forward to hearing your response.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]

Names and emails of the directors of insurance companies that have not ruled out insuring the West Cumbria mine: