Jackdaw North Sea gasfield to get go-ahead in blow to climate campaigners

The Jackdaw gasfield is expected to receive environmental approval, allowing Shell and Equinor to proceed with a project that had been in doubt after a court ruling. The decision would signal the government’s support for North Sea oil and gas, while drawing criticism from climate campaigners and risking a dispute with Labour MPs over the party’s climate commitments.

The field was approved in 2022, but its environmental consent was challenged because the assessment had not included emissions from burning the gas produced. Its operators resubmitted their application last September; ministers are expected to argue that approval does not break Labour’s promise on new licences because Jackdaw is not a new licence. At full operation, it is projected to account for 6% of North Sea gas production and provide about 2% of UK gas demand for roughly 10 years. A decision on the larger Rosebank field remains pending.