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 ruled that the government must now consider the full environmental impact of the emissions from these fields, and make a new decision on whether the projects can go ahead in the light of this. It further ruled that no oil and gas may 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.
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 … 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.”
