The UK Supreme Court ruled that local authorities should have considered the long-term climate impact of onshore oil wells when granting planning permission. This decision could significantly affect future fossil fuel developments.
Environmental campaigners contended that the planning permission for retaining and expanding an oil well site in southern England was flawed, as it only considered the direct effects of the development and neglected the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from the use of the extracted oil.
The UK’s top court judges narrowly ruled by a three to two majority that the planning approval was unlawful, stating that the later emissions should have been considered in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), according to a press release by the UK Supreme Court.
George Leggatt, one of the three Supreme Court justices who agreed with the appeal, said, “It is undisputed that these emissions, which can easily be quantified, will have a significant impact on climate.”
He added, “The only issue is whether the combustion emissions are effects of the project at all. It seems to me plain that they are.”
Before the ruling, campaigners stated that a victory would make it significantly more difficult for new oil, gas, and coal developments to gain approval, impacting other controversial projects as well.
Sam Fowles, a Cornerstone Barristers planning and environment law specialist, told Reuters, “It is extremely difficult to overstate the significance of this case. This could be the beginning of the end for new fossil fuel extraction in the UK.”