Environmentalists at Friends of the Earth revealed today that they have applied to the UK's highest court to review a request to challenge British funding of a natural gas extraction project in Mozambique.

In January, the Court of Appeal rejected the application, but the organization wants the arguments to be heard again by the Supreme Court.

The activists consider that "the decision to fund the project was illegal? and that there are implications "on public decision making around the UK's climate obligations?

"The funding decision was made without taking into account the staggering emissions that will result from the combustion of the gas, and without considering how these emissions align with globally agreed climate goals,? they said in a statement quoted by Lusa.

Before proceeding to a trial, the Supreme Court will first evaluate the application to decide whether it has merit and whether a question of great constitutional importance is at issue.

The UK export credit agency UK Export Finance (UKEF) has allocated $1.15 billion in 2020 to develop the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project ?offshore? in the Rovuma basin in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique.

But Friends of the Earth claims that the environmental impact has not been properly assessed, which runs counter to the UK's commitment to meet the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement to limit global warming.

The organization has calculated that over the years of activity, the project will result in up to 4,500 million tons of greenhouse gases.

The project in question, promoted by a consortium led by the French oil company TotalEnergies in the Rovuma basin, was suspended in 2021 after attacks by armed groups in Cabo Delgado province.