Significant Victory for Climate Campaigners

In a landmark decision, Scottish judge Andrew Ericht ruled on Wednesday that the UK government acted unlawfully by approving the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gas project. This ruling represents a significant victory for climate campaigners, emphasizing the importance of considering the climate damage caused by burning extracted oil and gas, not just the environmental impact of extraction itself.

Details of the Ruling

Judge Ericht highlighted that the public interest in authorities acting lawfully and the private interest of members of the public in addressing climate change outweigh the private interests of the developers. The Rosebank oilfield, the UK's largest untapped oilfield, is owned by Equinor ASA, while Shell owns the Jackdaw gas project. Despite the drilling ban, both companies have stated that preparatory work can continue, as reported by The Guardian.