UK Supreme Court's Landmark Ruling on Environmental Impact for Surrey Oil Projects

Jun 20, 2024, 09:20 AM

The UK Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling that requires the environmental impact of burning oil to be considered before granting planning permission for new oil and gas projects. This decision, which emerged from a case involving an onshore oil well site in Horley, Surrey, is expected to significantly impact the future of fossil fuel developments in the UK. The ruling mandates that planning authorities, including Surrey County Council, must include downstream emissions in their environmental assessments, potentially making it much harder for new fossil fuel projects to proceed. Climate campaigners, who have been fighting for this outcome for five years, have hailed the decision as a major victory, while critics argue it could threaten the entire UK oil industry by sending jobs and investments overseas.