Frankfurt am Main: Anti-coal campaigners scored a surprise victory on Friday when a German court temporarily blocked energy giant RWE from razing part of an ancient forest to expand a giant open-pit mine.
The Hambach forest near Cologne has been occupied by activists for six years but its fate appeared sealed after local authorities last month ordered police to dismantle protesters’ treehouses in a forced eviction that sparked outrage.
In an emergency ruling however, judges at the higher administrative court in Muenster said they needed more time to consider the complaint brought by environmental group BUND against RWE’s planned clearing.
“This is a good day for nature and climate protection and a milestone for the anti-coal movement,” Greenpeace Germany’s Martin Kaiser told a press conference.
The David-versus-Goliath battle has come to symbolise resistance against brown coal mining in Germany, a country that despite its green reputation remains heavily reliant on this dirtiest of fossil fuels.
The plaintiffs are arguing that Hambach forest, located in the industrial heartland of North Rhine — Westphalia state, is home to rare species like Bechstein’s bat and therefore qualifies as a protected area under EU law.
Judges said RWE did not have the right to create an “irreversible” situation on the ground before they had ruled on the “complex” case.
RWE, which owns the forest, had planned to begin clearing around half of the woodland’s remaining 200 hectares from October 15. The company claims that the expansion of its adjacent lignite mine is necessary to ensure the energy supply of coal-fired power plants in the region. — AFP
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