London: Britain has reversed its decision to grant permission for an oil drilling operation and abandoned its defence against a legal challenge over a controversial new coal mine, activists confirmed on Thursday, following a pivotal court ruling on fossil fuel projects.
The reversal follows a significant judgment last month from the UK’s highest court regarding the climate impacts of fossil fuel initiatives, which activists believe will have far-reaching implications for future projects.
The Supreme Court’s ruling mandates that planning authorities must consider not only the extraction but also the burning of fossil fuels when evaluating project approvals.
Law firm Leigh Day disclosed that the former Conservative government ministers agreed to overturn the 2023 decision permitting oil drilling in Lincolnshire, eastern England, on July 4, coinciding with the national election that saw Labour replace the Conservatives in power.
Judge Judith Farbey, in a court order, indicated that the decision on the drilling project would be reconsidered in light of the Supreme Court’s directive.
Mathilda Dennis, a campaigner with SOS Biscathorpe, which initiated the legal challenge, remarked in a statement, “it is clear that the unequivocal link between fossil fuel extraction and climate crisis can no longer be ignored.”
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Meanwhile, environmental organization Friends of the Earth reported that government ministers had withdrawn their defence against a legal challenge concerning Britain’s 2022 approval of its first new deep coal mine in decades.
The group noted that a court hearing for their challenge could proceed next week unless West Cumbria Mining, the coal mine developer, also withdrew its defence.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government referred inquiries about the Lincolnshire oil project to the Planning Inspectorate, which declined to comment.
Egdon Resources, the operator of the Lincolnshire oil project, and West Cumbria Mining did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
