If the legal ruling on consents for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields is correct, and we have to assume that the judges know their law, then the law is illogical (“Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields ruled unlawful”, January 30). If we want to reduce CO2 emissions we will have to speed up the work to develop practical and affordable alternatives to oil and gas. And massive amounts of public and private funding will then have to be found to construct sufficient green alternative energy schemes and their supporting storage and distribution systems.
All that will take many years. Stopping the development of Rosebank and Jackdaw will not stop drivers from filling their vehicles with petrol, or flat owners from turning on their gas heating. If the Government does not act to permit the development of these fields, the demand for oil and gas will not drop.
It would just mean that the UK will have to import more of it. Read more: Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields ruled unlawful Keir Starmer urged to scrap 'climate disaster' Rosebank Rosebank and Jackdaw in court: what case tells us about 'unlawful' oil and gas In the case of the gas from these two fields, the gas will be piped to the UK. If we are denied this supply, it seems certain that we will have to increase the imports of liquefied natural gas in large refrigerated tankers, most likely from the US or the Middle East.
The carbon cost of liquefying the gas, keeping it liquefied and driving the tankers will.