JOHANNESBURG/ LONDON (Reuters) -Glencore ( GLCNF ) said it will not spin off its coal business after securing backing from the majority of its investors who see lucrative earnings from the fossil fuel after the company's recent purchase of Teck Resources' ( TECK ) coking coal assets.

Lack of investment in new coal assets and a realisation that the fuel will remain part of the global energy mix for years to come is likely to underpin tight supplies and high prices, which investors expect will continue to boost Glencore's ( GLCNF ) profits.

Investors' environmental concerns have moderated over the past nine-to-12 months with more of them realising the role the fossil fuel could play in energy supplies, Glencore ( GLCNF ) CEO Gary Nagle said at a briefing on Wednesday.

Glencore ( GLCNF ) could also add more steelmaking coal capacity, Nagle said, but declined to say whether it would consider Anglo American's Australian steelmaking coal assets, which are up for sale.

"At the right price, in the right geography, in the right quantity, there's no reason why we wouldn't consider additional acquisitions of steelmaking coal."

The London-listed miner had been canvassing investors on whether to keep its combined coal assets or spin them off after it completed a deal to buy the majority of Teck's steelmaking coal business last month.

Retaining the coal assets "offers the lowest risk pathway to create value for Glencore ( GLCNF ) shareholders today," Glencore ( GLCNF ) Chairman Kalidas Madhavpeddi said.

Glencore ( GLCNF ) on Wednesday reported a net loss of $233 million, after recognising $1.7 billion in one-time items, including about $1 billion of impairment charges.

Glencore ( GLCNF ) core earnings (EBITDA) slumped 33% to $6.3 billion, hit by a decline in prices for its key commodities during the six months.