Bankers pour cold water on red-hot coal

Lloyds has said it would stop financing miners that generate more than 5% of their revenue from thermal coal by the end of this year, and would no longer provide general purpose banking to new coking coal customers. – Reuters

IT’S the best of times, it’s the worst of times. At least when it comes to mining coal.

After years of decline, demand for the polluting fossil fuel has surged this year as Europe scrambles to replace Russian gas, and coal miners are making money hand over fist.