By Abbas Nazil
Shell has submitted a new environmental impact assessment for the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea after a court ruled that its previous consent was unlawful.
The oil giant was ordered to reassess the project following a successful legal challenge by Greenpeace.
The courts ruled that emissions from burning the extracted gas must be factored into government decisions on whether such projects should proceed.
This legal precedent means ministers can no longer overlook the climate impact of the eventual use of oil and gas from new fields when granting approvals.
The Jackdaw field, located about 150 miles east of Aberdeen, is designed to produce up to 6 percent of the United Kingdom’s gas demand, enough to heat an estimated 1.4 million homes.
Construction of the production platform is already well underway, but Shell cannot begin production until the UK government reaches a fresh decision on the project.
A company spokesman confirmed the submission, saying Shell had provided regulators with additional information, including an assessment of scope three emissions, which relate to the greenhouse gases generated when the gas is eventually used.
The spokesman stressed that Jackdaw is a nationally significant project, nearly complete, and would reduce reliance on imported gas that carries a higher carbon footprint.
Shell argues that domestic gas production is critical for energy security and that projects like Jackdaw supply UK households and industries with lower emissions compared to overseas imports.
However, Greenpeace insists that the reassessment should be fully transparent and accessible to the public.
The campaign group says the government has a duty to publish Shell’s environmental data and weigh it carefully before making a decision.
Philip Evans, senior climate campaigner at Greenpeace, accused Shell of prioritising profits over the planet, warning that new fossil fuel projects would intensify extreme weather without easing costs for households.
He welcomed the court ruling, saying it forces companies like Shell to reveal the true scale of climate damage their projects will cause.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it could not comment on individual projects but will ultimately have to decide whether to approve Jackdaw under the stricter legal framework.
The ruling also affects other developments, including Equinor’s Rosebank oil field, meaning both projects will serve as early tests of the government’s approach after the landmark judgment.
The case highlights a growing tension between the UK’s climate commitments and the government’s push for domestic energy supplies amid global market uncertainty.
It also signals that legal scrutiny of fossil fuel projects is likely to intensify, with campaigners determined to hold both companies and ministers accountable for climate impacts.
