EDF Energy Reaches Settlement with UK Activists

From Fox Business

By Sarah Kent

“The protesters, who have all pleaded guilty in court to aggravated trespass, have agreed in principle to accept a permanent injunction which prevents them from entering multiple sites operated by EDF Energy,” it said in a statement Thursday.

The activists, part of the group No Dash for Gas, which is protesting against a new generation of gas plants in the U.K., occupied the smokestacks at West Burton, central England, in October, delaying the opening of a new chimney.

No Dash for Gas said on its website that EDF dropped the 5 million pound ($7.46 million) lawsuit after coming under pressure from customers. “The humiliating climbdown by EDF follows an unprecedented backlash in which hundreds of customers deserted the company and 64,000 people signed a Change.org petition posted by one of the activists’ parents,” it said.

EDF said it planned to invite representatives of environmental organizations and other concerned parties to discuss how the company could address issues relating to its role in power generation.

“We share the protesters’ commitment to tackling climate change. That’s why we have committed to reducing the intensity of CO2 emissions from our electricity production by 60% by 2020, and cutting the proportion of CO2 arising from our customers’ energy consumption by 15% by 2020,” it said.