Plans to Drill Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil and Gas Fields Obstructed in Court

By Evans Momodu
1 minute read


A Scottish court has ruled against the development of the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gas project, citing unlawful approval by the previous Conservative government.

The decision marks a major win for climate campaigners, as the ruling acknowledges that the full climate impact of burning the extracted fossil fuels was not considered in the initial assessment.

Despite the ruling, the projects could still move forward if the new Labour government—elected in July 2024—conducts a fresh review and grants final consent.

Labour had pledged "no new licences" for North Sea oil and gas, but Rosebank and Jackdaw already have licences and require only government approval to proceed.

Climate activists, including Greenpeace and Uplift, celebrated the decision. Philip Evans, a senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK, called it a "historic win", stating that governments can no longer approve fossil fuel drilling while ignoring climate consequences.

Oil and gas still account for more than two-thirds of the UK's energy supply. However, Dr. Ewan Gibbs, an energy historian at Glasgow University, noted that the ruling makes any future decision on these projects "political", as they wouldn’t significantly reduce UK energy imports.

The ruling follows a wave of legal challenges against fossil fuel projects in the UK, after a landmark climate court decision in June 2024 set a precedent for stricter environmental scrutiny.
Source: Sky news