The Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields have suffered a big setback after the government decided not to defend them against a legal challenge. Here’s what you need to know. The UK government has announced that they are dropping their legal defence of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
The decision should make it difficult for these horrifically polluting projects to go ahead. Less oil and gas means less suffering from climate change and eye-watering energy bills, so there’s plenty to celebrate here. It’s not completely over yet though – we expect the greedy companies developing these projects to fight for them. But this is a massive step forward.
And to add to the good news, just days later, the government announced a record breaking annual renewable energy auction. Things are moving in the right direction, and our movement of climate voters, clean energy advocates and fossil fuel fighters has played a big part in that. Let’s keep up the pressure!
Oil and gas workers deserve a fair deal
As we future-proof our energy system, affected workers in heavily polluting industries and their communities must be supported with money for retraining or compensation. The government must properly invest in green jobs which will provide prosperity for generations to come. We can’t repeat the mistakes of the past. The mismanaged closure of the UK’s coal industry in the 1980s was brutal, and people are still living with the consequences today.
How it happened
This amazing news has been a long time coming. Here’s how it happened.
Jackdaw gas field approved
June 2022
This destructive North Sea gas field would generate more CO2 each year than the entire country of Ghana, whilst doing nothing to bring down bills. The gas will belong to Shell, and will be sold on international markets to the highest bidder – something government officials admitted.
Rosebank oil field approved
September 2023
This enormous North Sea oil field 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. As with Jackdaw, Rosebank would also mean diddly squat for energy bills.
Greenpeace launches legal challenges
July 2022 / December 2023
Greenpeace launched legal challenges against both projects, collaborating with Uplift on the Rosebank challenge. Jackdaw and Rosebank were both approved under the false claim that they are compatible with the UK’s legally binding climate commitments. This is a lie – regulators approved them without taking into account the emissions caused from burning the fossil fuels. Which is where the vast amount of emissions are produced, funnily enough.
Renewable energy auction fails
September 2023
Meanwhile, the incompetence of Rishi Sunak’s government meant they didn’t attract a single new offshore wind power project in the 2023 renewable energy auction. These auctions aren’t connected to the oil and gas approval process. But this disaster, alongside the government’s continued push for more fossil fuels, made this a bleak period for anyone who cares about climate change.
Supreme Court sets a precedent
June 2024
The UK Supreme Court ruled in favour of Sarah Finch and the Weald Action Group in a separate legal fight against oil drilling plans in Surrey. The court concluded that approval process should have considered the emissions created when the oil is burned after being sold – and not just the emissions from extracting the fuel. This decision set a precedent for the Rosebank and Jackdaw cases, which helped persuade the government to drop their legal defence.
Government decides not to fight the case
September 2024
The previous Conservative government was planning to defend Rosebank and Jackdaw in court. But the recently elected Labour government rightfully decided to drop its legal defence of both Rosebank and Jackdaw in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Finch case.
Record-breaking renewables auction
September 2024
This year’s auction secured a record-breaking 131 new wind, solar and tidal projects that could produce enough electricity to power 11 million homes.
What next for renewables?
Although this year’s renewables auction was a world away from the shambles of 2023, there was still only about half the offshore wind capacity that we need each year to meet the government’s target of quadrupling offshore wind by 2030.
So this urgently needs to be followed up with a much bigger auction next year, as well as investment for faster grid connection and more storage to hold the green power for when it’s needed.
What next for the legal cases?
We’re hoping to win the Jackdaw and Rosebank legal cases, now the government has stepped aside. The courts agree you cannot ignore the emissions released from actually burning the oil and gas you take out of the ground.
If we do win, the consents for Rosebank and Jackdaw will hopefully be reversed and the government could put an end to both projects. Or they could require the oil companies to provide information on how much oil will be burnt and how that will affect the climate. And then either approve or deny the projects.
We think (and the International Energy Agency agrees!) there’s no way these oil and gas fields are compatible with the UK’s climate targets. It’s time to cancel them fully and get serious about helping oil and gas workers into better, more sustainable jobs.
Source: greenpeace.org.uk