The biggest climate impact occurs when fuel is eventually burned - it’s outrageous that this is ignored when decisions are made over whether to allow new projects.
A new interactive map has now been published by Friends of the Earth, highlights 19 sites across England and Wales where new or extended onshore gas, oil and coal extraction is planned.
The environmental group’s analysis shows that even more onshore fossil fuel investment is in the pipeline since prime minister Rishi Sunak gave the green light to “max out” North Sea gas and oil with 100 new licences,
The world’s leading scientists are clear that any new fossil fuel developments are incompatible with preventing climate breakdown.
Planning
Danny Gross, a Friends of the Earth campaigner, said: “The UK is pursuing a dangerous addiction to dirty energy that’s incompatible with our national and global climate goals.
“Astonishingly, despite their massive environmental impact, the emissions from burning the extracted gas, coal and oil are routinely ignored when planning decisions are made.
“With scientists warning that fossil fuel investments must be avoided if we’re to tackle climate breakdown, we must pull the plug on new fossil fuel developments and instead focus on homegrown renewables and energy efficiency. This would boost our economy, create new jobs and lower energy bills.”
Friends of the Earth has identified 19 onshore sites where new or extended extraction activity is planned using publicly available planning application data.
These are made up of three sites where planning applications have yet to be decided, 15 sites where applications have recently been approved and one site where activity has been rejected but the operator has appealed.
Deepening
The list includes two new oil and gas sites (in Dunsfold Loxley, Surrey; and Glentworth, Lincolnshire); eight currently inactive oil and gas sites where new extraction activity is planned. Six of these involve drilling new wells. The rest involve extending the site or bringing inactive wells into use; six active oil and gas sites where new extraction activity is planned. Three of these involve drilling new wells; two coal mines (both in Wales) where new activity is planned: the Aberpergwm coal mine, which got an extended licence from the Coal Authority in January 2022, and Glan Lash which is awaiting a decision and finally a new coal mine in Cumbria which was recently granted planning permission but faces a legal challenge from Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC).
Analysis of the latest data by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) reveals there are currently 92 existing onshore oil and gas sites each with at least one operating well. There are also three coal mines currently in existence. All these sites are shown on the map.
The biggest climate impact occurs when fuel is eventually burned - it’s outrageous that this is ignored when decisions are made over whether to allow new projects.
The full climate impacts of proposed new or extended fossil fuel projects are not routinely considered when planning permission is sought, despite the deepening climate crisis and the UK’s commitment to net zero.
Outrageous
Instead, planning authorities frequently just consider the climate impact caused by the process of getting the fossil fuels out of the ground – and not the emissions that are created when the gas, oil or coal is eventually - and inevitably - burnt. Yet that is when the vast majority of the emissions are produced.
The issue of failure to account for these ‘downstream’ or ‘scope 3’ emissions in the environmental impact assessment is currently the subject of an appeal in the Supreme Court.
Sarah Finch is challenging Surrey County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for oil drilling at Horse Hill, near Gatwick airport, without taking into account the downstream emissions. The UK government has chosen to participate in the appeal and is defending the approval of the project. A decision is expected later this year.
If Ms Finch wins her case, it could have a profound impact on all new UK fossil fuel developments, both onshore and offshore.
She said: “The biggest climate impact from gas, coal and oil production occurs when the fuel is eventually burned. It’s outrageous that this is ignored when decisions are made over whether to allow new and expanded fossil fuel projects.
Tackling
“That's what my appeal over oil production at Horse Hill is about – and I hope the Supreme Court will confirm that no fossil fuel production – on or offshore – should be allowed without consideration of its full climate impact.”
Another significant development where the climate impact caused by burning the extracted fossil fuel was not considered is the controversial new coal mine planned for Cumbria, which the government approved last year.
The decision is facing a legal challenge by Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change. The High Court has agreed to a ‘rolled-up’ hearing, but the court says it will wait for the outcome of the Horse Hill legal challenge before setting a date – highlighting the critical importance of Sarah Finch’s challenge.
Friends of the Earth – along with ClientEarth and Good Law Project – are also taking legal action against the government over its plans for tackling climate change and meeting the country’s legally-binding carbon emissions targets.
This Author
Brendan Montague is editor of The Ecologist. This article is based on a press release from Friends of the Earth.
