January 31, 2025
UK Parliament, photo by Ramona du Houx
January 31, 2025
by Ramona Cornell du Houx
UK Court rules consent to drill Rosebank oil field was approved unlawfully, thanks to a judicial review case. The decision by the previous Conservative government in the United Kingdom to approve the giant Rosebank oilfield off Shetland was ruled unlawful by an Edinburgh court on January 30, 2025.
The judgment by Lord Ericht at the Court of Session said the carbon emissions that would be created by the burning of oil and gas at the largest untapped oilfield in the UK had not been taken into consideration, not just the impact of emissions caused by the process of extracting oil and gas.
“Today’s ruling is part of a clear trend we’re seeing from courts in the UK – marking the third time in the last year that judges have found that ‘downstream’ emissions must be considered in planning decisions,” said ClientEarth lawyer Robert Clarke, in a press release from ClientEarth. “This is a resounding signal from the courtroom that companies and governments can no longer turn a blind eye to the vast majority of the emissions their coal, oil and gas fields create.”
The court also ruled that consent for Shell’s Jackdaw gas field was unlawful and that owners of both oilfields needed to seek new government approval before production could start, reported BBC News.
The action follows on from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement in November of 2024, at the UN conference of parties (COP29), that the UK will now aim for an 81 percent cut in its emissions by 2035.
The target updates a 78 percent pledge by 2035 under the previous Conservative government.
Sir Keir insisted the government would not “tell people how to live their lives” but the target was vital to the UK’s future prosperity and energy security.
In a new action plan submitted to the United Nations in January of 2025, the government also signed up to global goals to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The UN called the plans “bold” and told other countries to follow suit.
