Massive North Sea oil and gas fields face Greenpeace court challenge

Greenpeace UK and Uplift will have their case heard by the Court of Session on November 12, with the UK government confirming it will not contest the judicial review.

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The judicial review has been brought against the Rosebank oil field, with a potential 500m barrels, and Jackdaw gas field, with a potential oil equivalent of 250m barrels. Campaigners have given permission to proceed, with its legal grounds the impact of burning fossil fuels at the sites was unlawfully ignored.

In June, the UK Supreme Court ruled these emissions must be taken into account, with the new Labour UK government confirming it will not defend the case.

If Greenpeace and Uplift’s judicial review is successful, Rosebank’s owners, Equinor and Ithaca Energy, and Jackdaw’s owner, Shell, would face delays and extra costs as they would be required to resubmit environmental assessments.

Greenpeace will argue that burning the oil and gas whilst ignoring its harmful effects is both illegal and unsafe in the middle of a climate crisis. In the case of Rosebank, the organisation will also argue that it would damage a protected area of the North Sea and the diverse marine life it supports.

Mel Evans, Greenpeace UK’s climate team leader, said: “It’s welcome news that we have permission on all of our legal grounds to challenge Rosebank and Jackdaw in two months’ time. We will continue to fight the corporate greed of fossil fuel companies like Equinor, Shell and Ithaca, and we look forward to our day in court.

“Both the government and the Supreme Court agree that you cannot ignore the emissions generated from burning fossil fuels. Equinor, Shell and Ithaca know this, and they know that the consents for these fields are unlawful. But despite this they are continuing to develop them during this judicial review, putting people, marine life, and our climate at further risk. 

“Rosebank and Jackdaw will do nothing to help our energy security or bring down our bills. The oil and gas extracted will be sold on the international market, making these companies, their bosses and shareholders even richer. “

The Rosebank oil field is situated to the west of the Shetland isles. Discovered in 2004, its development has been delayed a number of times, but in August 2022 Norwegian oil company Equinor submitted an environmental statement to the UK government outlining its plans to develop the field, which triggered the start of the assessment process.

If the judicial reviews are successful, Uplift and Greenpeace will ask the court to quash the decisions to approve Rosebank, meaning the UK government will be required to remake its decision in relation to Rosebank to fit legal requirements.

Energy minister Michael Shanks said: “This government is committed to making Britain a clean energy superpower, helping to meet our first mission to kickstart economic growth.

“While we make that transition the oil and gas industry will play an important role in the economy for decades to come. As we support the North Sea’s clean energy future, this government is committed to protecting current and future generations of good jobs as we do so.

“We were elected with a mandate to deliver stability, certainty and growth. Every action we take will be in pursuit of that. We will consult at pace on new guidance that takes into account the Supreme Court’s ruling on environmental impact assessments, to enable the industry to plan, secure jobs, and invest in our economy.”

Equinor and Ithica were contacted for comment.