75% of the UK’s original coal resources remain in place. If we tap its energy by underground gasification, without releasing greenhouse gases, we can power our way to a renewable future. Coal is now vilified as the greatest fossil fuel source of greenhouse gases. Yet as other fossil fuels become increasingly scarce, and as renewable energy sources ramp up too slowly to replace them, coal remains abundant in many parts of the world. The nightmare scenario would be for these coal resources to be used in a dirty way. But what if we could use the energy stored in these coal reserves without releasing more greenhouse gases? This might represent humanity’s last best chance of bridging our way to a truly renewable future – if we can get it right. The best hope for doing this probably lies in underground coal gasification, which will create voids deep below surface within which CO2 can be stored in perpetuity. This lecture explored this possibility, its pros and cons, and muses on the potential which such developments hold for developing a new green industry in the North East.