The controversial Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields have
been ruled unlawful by the Scottish Court of Session, and consent
for their development has been quashed. The court has ruled that
the government must now consider the full environmental impact of
the emissions from the fields, and make a new decision on whether
the projects can go ahead in light of this. The court ruled that
no oil and gas must be extracted during this period. Campaigners
argue that new oil and gas projects are not compatible with the
UK's climate commitments and that the ball is now in the
government's court on the future of the North Sea.
Greenpeace argued in court that for both Rosebank and Jackdaw the
impact of emissions caused from burning the oil and gas extracted
from those fields, otherwise known as scope 3 or downstream
emissions, was unlawfully ignored by the oil companies and the
previous government. After the Supreme Court ruled in June that
these emissions must be taken into account, the government
accepted the illegality of the permits. Now the Scottish Court of
Session has ruled that the sites are unlawful and oil and gas
cannot be extracted unless their full climate impacts are
properly assessed.
Commenting on the news, Philip Evans, senior campaigner
at Greenpeace UK, said
“This is a historic win - the age of governments approving new
drilling sites by ignoring their climate impacts is over. The
courts have agreed with what climate campaigners have said all
along: Rosebank and Jackdaw are unlawful, and their full climate
impacts must now be properly considered.
“Fossil fuels are an economic dead end. Now that the ball is back
in the government's court, ministers have the opportunity to sort
out the legal mess left by their predecessors. They should use
this moment to set out a new path for the North Sea, reaffirming
their commitment to no new oil and gas, and prioritising clean
energy.
“The only way forward for a secure future means ending our
reliance on oil and gas and creating a renewable energy system
that provides this country with secure, stable jobs, affordable
clean energy and economic opportunities.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
-
-
Rosebank, 80 miles north-west of Shetland, contains around
500 million barrels of oil, which when burned would emit as
much carbon dioxide as running 56 coal-fired power stations
for a year. The UK public will carry almost all (91%) the
cost of developing the field, with Rosebank's owners set to
receive around £3 billion in tax breaks. Yet the project
won't cut household energy bills: Rosebank's oil will be sold
on the world market and most will be exported, and UK oil and
gas production does not make a material difference to the
price UK consumers pay.
-
When burnt, the gas from Jackdaw will produce more CO2 than
the entire annual emissions of Ghana.
-
The fields won't make us energy secure either - 80% of North
Sea oil is exported, and in terms of gas the hundreds of
licences that have been issued in the last 13 years have
provided the UK with a grand total of 16 days worth of gas
-
The International Energy Agency said that no new fossil fuel
projects should be approved anywhere in the world as of the
end of 2021 if we are to meet globally agreed climate
targets.
