Projects

Critics of ending new oil and gas licensing often point to Norway and the national wealth fund it has built through its oil and gas industry, as evidence that it can be done. That the UK can continue to have a thriving oil and gas industry and that it’s mere political will that’s holding us back. But the real picture is very different. 

It is not possible to mitigate the climate impact of new fields like Rosebank and Jackdaw. Yet that has not stopped some from trying. In this briefing we will detail why a CTBO applied to new fields like Rosebank and Jackdaw would be ineffective and costly, not to mention the risk of giving oil and gas companies a get-out-of-jail-free card for continued drilling.

The UK government will soon make a decision on whether to approve or reject Jackdaw, a new North Sea gas field. First approved in 2022, Jackdaw was ruled unlawful last year by the Scottish courts, along with the huge Rosebank oil field, for failing to take into account its full impact on the climate. The decision rests with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.