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The government will consult on updated environmental guidance for offshore oil and gas projects, following a Supreme Court ruling.

Updated environmental guidance for offshore oil and gas projects will provide greater certainty and stability for the industry in response to a Supreme Court ruling. It sets out the elements that must be considered by operators when assessing emissions from burning of the oil and gas they produce.

The ruling in the Finch case on 20 June has required operators to consider the impact of burning oil and gas in Environmental Impact Assessments for oil and gas extraction projects. 

The government has acted quickly and will now consult with stakeholders including the offshore industry on draft guidance, so it can be implemented from Spring.

Separately, the government will consult before the end of the year on the implementation of its commitment not to issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields, as part of its plan to ensure a fair and prosperous transition in the North Sea.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

We have already started plans to speed up the North Sea’s clean energy transition to protect jobs and investment, from pushing ahead with new industries such as carbon capture, to launching Great British Energy – headquartered in Aberdeen.  

Now we are acting quickly to provide greater stability for our offshore industries, by consulting on new environmental guidance that complies with our legal obligations. We will continue to work closely with industry to ensure a prosperous future for the North Sea and our offshore workers.

It follows action to accelerate the transition to the North Sea’s clean energy future to boost Britain’s energy security and ensure good, long-term jobs. This includes launching Great British Energy, headquartered in Aberdeen, and signing a new agreement with the Scottish Government to support investment in clean energy supply chains and infrastructure.

Alongside this the government is speeding up a new skills passport to help oil and gas workers move into roles in offshore wind. The government has also announced the biggest ever investment in offshore wind and is moving ahead with new North Sea industries like carbon capture and storage and hydrogen.