Environmental groups Greenpeace UK and Uplift are set to challenge the approval of the Rosebank and Jackdaw offshore oil and gas fields in the Scottish Court of Session today (12 Nov 12 2024). This legal action marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over fossil fuel extraction and climate change mitigation in the United Kingdom.
If the challenge is successful, operators would have to resubmit environmental impact assessments for approval before drilling can begin.
Protesters calling for the projects to be halted gathered outside the court this morning.
The Rosebank oil field, located 80 miles west of Shetland, is the UK’s largest untapped oil field, estimated to contain up to 300 million barrels of oil. . Shell’s proposals to develop the Jackdaw field were approved by the NSTA in 2022, after initially being rejected on environmental grounds. The field, situated 155 miles east of Aberdeen, is due to begin production in 2025.
Both projects were approved by the previous Conservative government, with Rosebank receiving the green light in September 2023.
Legal Challenge
The environmental groups argue that the impact of emissions from burning the oil and gas extracted from these fields was unlawfully ignored during the approval process. They contend that this oversight violates recent legal precedents, including a Supreme Court ruling in June 2024 that mandated regulators to consider the total environmental impact of new projects.
Philip Evans, of Greenpeace UK, said: “Earlier this year, the Supreme Court made it crystal clear that the climate impact of emissions from burning fossil fuels must be assessed before any new oil and gas projects can be approved.
“It’s these types of emissions that are causing the climate chaos we’re seeing all over the world.
“But oil companies want to keep drilling for maximum profits whilst ignoring the damage they’re doing.
“That’s why we are taking Shell, Equinor and Ithaca to court to stop them in their tracks.”
Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said Rosebank should never have been approved.
She said: “Rosebank is a terrible deal for Britain. It’s mostly oil for export, which would do nothing to lower fuel costs or boost our energy security yet, because of huge tax breaks for new drilling, the UK public would effectively cover almost all of the costs of developing it while the oil companies walk off with the profits.
“It won’t provide long-term security for oil and gas workers either.
“Even with new fields being approved, jobs supported by the industry have more than halved in the past decade. Workers need clean-energy jobs that have a long-term future.”
The oil companies involved in these projects maintain that they are vital for the UK’s energy security and economy. Shell, which operates the Jackdaw gas field, argues that the project “is being developed in line with all relevant consents and permits” and is “a vital project for UK energy security that is already well under way.”
A spokesperson for Equinor, involved in the Rosebank project, stated: “It is vital for the UK and will bring benefits in terms of local investment, jobs and energy security.”
A Shell spokesman said the Jackdaw development had been developed in line with all relevant consents and permits.
He added: “Jackdaw is a vital project for UK energy security and the project is already well advanced.
“Stopping the work is a highly complex process, with significant technical and operational issues now that infrastructure is in place and drilling has started in the North Sea.
“Jackdaw will provide enough fuel to heat 1.4m UK homes as older gas fields reach the end of production.”
In a significant development, the current Labour government announced in August 2024 that it would not challenge legal attempts to stop drilling at these fields. This decision has effectively shifted the burden of defence onto the oil companies themselves.
Both governments said it would not be appropriate to comment on live legal proceedings.
On Monday evening, the comedian Frankie Boyle was due to moderate a public meeting of about 150 climate campaigners in Edinburgh after lending his support to the Stop Rosebank campaign.
If successful, this legal challenge could require operators to resubmit environmental assessments before any drilling can begin, potentially delaying or halting these projects. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences for future offshore oil and gas approvals in the UK, making it a critical moment for both environmental policy and energy strategy.
