Landmark Supreme Court ruling challenges UK oil and gas projects: What you need to know
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled that a local council in the UK should have considered the full climate impact of burning oil from new wells, setting a precedent that could potentially impact future oil and gas projects in the country. The case was brought against Surrey County Council by Sarah Finch, on behalf of campaigners, challenging the assumption under planning law that only the impacts from constructing the wells, and not the use of the final oil products, should be considered.
The judges did not rule that the council should reject the proposal for new oil wells, but they emphasized that the downstream emissions from burning the oil should have been taken into account. This decision could have significant implications for future drilling projects in the UK, as companies will now have to consider the emissions from products like oil when planning new projects.
The case specifically related to the Horse Hill oil well in Surrey, which was granted planning permission to expand its operations in 2019. The site is expected to produce 3.3 million tonnes of crude oil over the next 20 years, resulting in over 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions if the oil is burned. This ruling could also impact other projects in the UK, such as the Rosebank oil field and the proposed coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria.
The company behind the Horse Hill project, UK oil and gas plc, expressed confusion over the ruling but stated that they would work with Surrey County Council to amend their planning application. They also mentioned a shift towards hydrogen storage in recent years.
Environmental campaigners hailed the decision as a significant victory in the fight against fossil fuel projects and emphasized the importance of considering emissions in environmental assessments. The ruling could also have implications abroad, as UK environmental assessment laws are based on European law.
Sarah Finch’s victory after a five-year legal battle was supported by environmental organizations like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. The decision marks a significant step towards holding oil and gas projects accountable for their climate impact and could shape future energy projects in the UK and beyond.