What's happened
A Scottish court is reviewing the legality of drilling licenses for the Rosebank oilfield, amid claims from climate campaigners that the UK government unlawfully ignored the climate impact of burning fossil fuels. The outcome could significantly affect the future of oil and gas extraction in the UK.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Guardian, climate campaigners argue that the Rosebank oilfield will cause 'sizeable' damage to the planet, emphasizing that the government unlawfully ignored the climate costs of the project. Greenpeace's lawyer, Ruth Crawford, stated, 'There can be no doubt this project will produce substantial amounts of oil and gas with a substantial impact on the climate.' Meanwhile, BBC News reports that the UK government has accepted the original decisions to grant licenses were unlawful, following a Supreme Court ruling that mandated a comprehensive assessment of climate impacts before issuing new drilling licenses. This case is pivotal as it tests the Labour government's commitment to reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
How we got here
The Rosebank oilfield, located off Shetland, was approved for drilling by the previous Conservative government in September 2023. Environmental groups argue that the government failed to assess the climate impact of emissions from burning the extracted oil and gas, which is now under judicial review.
More on these topics
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Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over 55 countries and an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Edward Samuel Miliband is a British politician serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy since 2020, and has served as Member of Parliament for Doncaster North since 2005.
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Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.
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Royal Dutch Shell PLC, commonly known as Shell, is a British-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in the Netherlands and incorporated in England.