Environmentalists Friends of the Earth revealed today that they have appealed to the UK's court of last resort to assess a request to challenge British funding for a natural gas extraction project in Mozambique..

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

The campaigners believe that "the decision to fund the project was illegal" and that there are implications "for 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 assess the appeal request to decide whether it has merit and whether it is a matter of great constitutional importance.

The British export credit agency UK Export Finance (UKEF) allocated 1,150 million dollars in 2020 to develop the offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) project 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 goes against the UK's commitment to comply with 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 4.5 billion tons of greenhouse gases.

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