Environmental activists gained a further victory in New Caledonia last month when a French court ordered a halt to construction of the multi-billion dollar Goro nickel mine. The ruling came in response to continued pressure from local native and environmental groups who had staged a peaceful protest outside of a New Caledonia governmental building earlier this year. Since the protest, these groups, including Greengrants partners Point Zero and CAUGERN (The Indigenous Council for Natural Resources Management in Kanaky-New Caledonia), had continued to lobby the French and New Caledonian government for a closer examination of the impacts the proposed mine would have on the local environment. Given the unique and diverse ecology of New Caledonia many international organizations have taken an interest in the future of the Goro installation.
To read more, click here for more information from Global Response, and here for Greengrant’s original article on the Goro mine.