Greenpeace UK’s Post

🌍 The role of High Courts in enforcing international environmental law and the duty of care in the fight against climate change is crucial. The recent UK Supreme Court ruling declaring an oil drilling license unlawful, due to the government’s failure to consider emissions from burning fossil fuels, underscores this necessity. This landmark decision emphasizes the government’s obligation to evaluate crucial climate information when assessing new oil drilling projects, ensuring accountability and creating real consequences for non-compliance. I’m keen to see how this ruling will influence climate litigation in the UK. The enforcement of such standards is vital for global efforts to combat climate change. 🌱 #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalLaw #Sustainability #UKSupremeCourt #ClimateLitigation

👋#Australia you are headed in the wrong direction and we see you! “An assessment of security-related climate risks [was] delivered to the government in December 2023 by the Office of National Intelligence. This startling analysis of the climate impacts on Australia’s future was something the government did not want the public to understand. The government does not want to talk about future climate risks because it is conspiring with the fossil fuel industry to make the problem worse. Since the 2022 election, the Albanese has approved four new coal projects, approved the drilling of 116 new coal seam gas wells, defended in court the right of the coal industry not to consider the climate impact of opening new fossil fuel projects, and passed legislation designed to expedite the expansion of the gas industry, according to the Australia Institute. And now the federal government has approved new gas exploration permits in waters off South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, along with carbon export permits to encourage CCS, a technology not proven at scale.” What is the 2050 phase out plan for the Australian petrostates? What can be abandoned ASAP and where is the schedule for reclamation over the next 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years. How is it being funded and when? Forget more extraction, only what is needed to secure renewable power and public goods, care, and services. #auspol #polluterpay #reclaim #restore #regenerate #biodiversity #critical #habitat

https://lnkd.in/eyXrwW_c "This historic ruling is a watershed moment in the fight to stop further fossil fuel extraction projects in the UK. Gas, oil and coal companies have been fighting tooth and nail to avoid having to account for all the climate-harming emissions their developments cause." #sustainability #savetheplanet #noplanetb #greeneconomy

⏰ In the next couple of weeks, the UK Government is planning to bring through legislation for an annual licensing programme for #OilAndGas in the North Sea. This plan has been hugely controversial, with former-minister Chris Skidmore stepping down as MP in reaction to the proposed legislation and MP Alok Sharma openly criticising the plans: "Just a few weeks ago at #Cop28, the UK government signed up to transition away from fossil fuels. This bill is actually about doubling down on new oil and gas licences. It is actually the opposite of what we agreed to do internationally, so I won’t be supporting it.” To justify this shift in policy towards #FossilFuels, ministers have made a number of claims about the impact on the #ClimateCrisis and #UK bills,. Here, the Guardian factchecks some of those claims: https://lnkd.in/e9wCpbap

Oil Projects Must Consider Full Climate Impact, Top U.K. Court Rules Britain's highest court has ruled that local councils and planning groups must consider the full environmental impact of new fossil fuel projects when deciding whether to approve them, a decision that could have far-reaching consequences and that climate activists hailed as a major victory. In particular, the ruling will make it harder for Britain to move ahead with plans to develop large offshore oil fields in the North Sea, including [Rosebank, one of the country's largest undeveloped oil fields](https://lnkd.in/eh_SntSH). Situated off the coast of Scotland, Rosebank contains an estimated 300 million barrels of recoverable oil. https://lnkd.in/ezUmCgYS

The latest court ruling against the Ministry of Energy highlights the ongoing search for best ways to mitigate the climate impacts of Norway's oil and gas industry. According to the recent report by Carbon Limits AS (https://lnkd.in/eSb9Axki), the Norwegian industry has made signifcant progress in cutting #methaneemissions over the past decade. The sector and the government are also betting big on the #electrification of offshore platforms to reduce emissions. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate estimates that the industry's electricity consumption will almost double between 2021 and 2028. This is driving political and public concerns about the potential decifict and higher electricity prices in the mainland economy. However, the issue of combustion emissions, the subject of the Oslo District Court decision, is more complicated than simply accounting for them in impact assessment. The government will need to ACT on them to make a difference. As Margriet Kuijper suggests, the introduction of the Carbon Takeback Obligation could be the best option to address such emissions. This will likely require a more robust government action on the CCS front. #norway #environmentalimpact #scope3emissions #carbondioxide #ccs #courts #regulations #policy #oilandgas #upstream #climatelitigation https://lnkd.in/e2QHU5x8

24 Steps In The Wrong Direction? 🤔 Despite having committed to transition away from fossil fuels at COP28, Britain has handed 24 new North Sea oil and gas licenses to major oil companies. The licenses aim to extend the life of the dwindling oil and gas basin just off the UK’s northernmost coasts. MPs and environmentalists have branded the move “grossly irresponsible”, suggesting it will further destroy the UK’s international reputation on climate change. Here at Tariff, we’ve long campaigned for cleaner and more sustainable energy, and these licenses only seek to undermine that. Check out the link below for the full story 👇 https://bit.ly/3wft0fP #NetZero #Oil #Gas #NorthSea #Energy #Sustainability

THE UK Government is set to ramp up oil and gas extraction with new plans to hold annual licencing rounds – in a “final raid” on Scotland’s fossil fuels. Invites will be issued every year under new plans to be set out in the King’s Speech on Tuesday in a bid to increase domestic production and wean the UK off foreign fuels. But the move will infuriate green campaigners who argue the UK must reduce its reliance on polluting fossil fuels and focus more on renewables. And the SNP have accused the UK Government of exploiting “Scotland's natural resources”. The UK Government argue home-grown fossil fuels are cleaner than imports from abroad and say polluting energy sources must still be exploited in the move to net zero carbon emissions.

Is this the start of a banning-fossil-fuel-production trend? “Oslo district court on 18 January, decided the government must now take into account the emissions that come from the burning of oil and gas reserves in addition to the impact of getting the reserves out of the ground, before they approve a new field. “ This is believed to be a world first. “The legal win… was a result of Greenpeace Norway and Young Friends of the Earth Norway challenging the approval of three new oil and gas fields by the government. They argued the government had not been properly vetted for climate harm. The court agreed.” Will this now have a domino effect? And speed up renewables being developed? And begin carbon reduction? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gZkduJ #fossilfuel #production #legal #bans

From fossil-free to fossil friendly. It is likely we will see the new coalition of National, ACT and NZ First parties promote, not limit, domestic oil and gas extraction in New Zealand. So far they have not answered questions on their intentions for COP28. However, considering the lobbying pressure of farmers and industry, I would not be surprised if this Government repealed NZ’s offshore ban on exploring for gas and oil. Although NZ is part of the Pacific Island’s Forum, considering their stance regarding Māori, going against the collective aspirations of their browner colleagues at the Forum would be true to form. My approach to this Government, is to stay alert to everything that is happening. Amass support. Do everything we can do with our resources, networks and time to make sure that we are safe, our children and future great-grandchildren are safe from the Government decisions that will be made over the next three years. Mauriora, fa’amalosi, stay alert.