Greenpeace launch court challenge into North Sea oil and gas drilling

A judicial review of Liz Truss’ government decision to allow for new oil and gas drilling licences began today.  

The licences enabled companies to bid for over 100 different licenses to explore new areas in the North Sea.  

Philip Evans, Greenpeace climate activist explained that despite experts and energy authorities making it clear that we “cannot open up new fossil fuel projects if we are to tackle the climate crisis.” 

In October of last year, the first new licensing agreement round since 2019/20 opened as the North Sea Transition Authority offered up over 900 different locations to allow for companies to search for areas to drill for oil and gas. 

Evans continued that within their court hearing they are there “to argue that the government’s decision to approve the licensing round was unlawful as the government failed to check the impact the agreement would have on the planet.” 

Since the target for limiting the global temperature has risen to 1.5 degrees Celsius the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has also called on the governments to accelerate their efforts to reduce the effects of climate change.  

Calum Hogson speaking on behalf of the Green New Deal said: “The Scottish government should really be putting pressure on the UK government which we have saw them do before in the past, as Nicola Sturgeon put pressure on Boris Johnson on the Cambo oil field.” 

And since the global temperature is rising there is increased risk of heavy rainfall, heatwaves and threat to wildlife  

Climate Justice activist Daze Aghaji thinks we cannot keep adding to the problem that is climate change. She said: “We are in the moment where we should be bringing the fossil fuel era to an end”.