04 Feb 2025

A court has ruled that consent for two new Scottish oil and gas fields was granted unlawfully and their owners must seek fresh approval from the UK government before production can begin. The written judgement on the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields came after a case brought by environmental campaigners, Uplift and Greenpeace, at the Court […]

07 Jan 2025

US President Joe Biden is set to ban new offshore oil and gas development across 625 million acres (250 million hectares) of U.S. coastal territory. The ban rules out the sale of drilling rights in stretches of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The move is considered mostly symbolic, as […]

10 Dec 2024

Shell and Equinor are combining their UK oil and gas assets in a joint venture that will become the country’s largest independent producer. Last month, the UK government increased a “windfall” tax – initially introduced in 2022 following an energy price spike after the Ukraine war. The hike brings the headline tax on the sector to 78%, […]

10 Sep 2024

New North Sea oil and gas projects have been placed on hold while the UK Government responds to a landmark court case on the environment.  On the 29th August, the UK government announced new environmental guidance for oil and gas firms, aiming to “provide stability for industry, support investment, protect jobs, deliver economic growth, and […]

27 Aug 2024

The UK’s decision to issue new oil and gas exploration licences is being challenged in court by Oceana UK, which argues ministers unlawfully failed to consider the impact on marine life. Oceana UK has moved forward with its legal challenge over fossil fuel exploration licences issued in May 2024 as part of the North Sea […]

25 Jun 2024

The marine conservation campaign group, Oceana, is preparing to take the UK government to court, claiming the decision to issue North Sea oil and gas licences without taking into account their impact on the environment was unlawful. The decision to issue the new licences was unlawful on several grounds, says the charity, including a failure to consider the […]

11 Oct 2022

North Sea oil and gas licenses ‘overlap’ with marine protected areas, which are home to threatened species. The analysis by Uplift found that more than a third of the locations being offered clash with protected zones, the Independent reported. The government’s response to the consultation on the UK Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment 4 (OESEA4) Environmental Report paved […]