Dozens of campaigners gathered outside the Department for Energy in London on Wednesday to protest the Government's decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. While unions and oil company Shell welcomed the move, climate activists condemned the decision as "maddening".
Activists Condemn the Decision
Danny Gross, climate campaigner for Friends of the Earth, described the decision as "maddening". Amanda Grimm, advocacy lead for Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, said: "Drilling the Jackdaw field will do nothing to solve our problems. It will not cut sky-high power bills for struggling households."
Grimm added: "It will not stop the loss of North Sea jobs. And it will not provide reliable energy supplies for the future. Burning the last of our gas will merely help cook the climate while ordinary folk foot the bill."
Jake Atkinson, spokesperson for the Stop Trump Coalition, said: "Donald Trump says 'drill, baby, drill' – now, sadly, the British government is capitulating to his agenda, even in the face of heatwaves and wildfires." He argued the decision will not lower energy bills but will "exacerbate the climate crisis and enrich the fossil fuel companies profiteering from it".
Government and Unions Back the Scheme
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh backed the scheme, which is expected to start supplying gas to British homes and firms within weeks. She is now under pressure to approve the separate Rosebank oil and gas field as a further sign of commitment to the North Sea and domestic energy production.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "In my conversations with the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, I have been very clear that whilst we of course support net zero, we cannot have a jobless transition, abandon our energy security or offshore our carbon responsibilities. That is why we have argued for this decision on Jackdaw."
GMB welcomed the decision as "great news", with general secretary Gary Smith saying: "Andy Burnham's Government deserves real credit for doing the right thing for our country. For too long, this and other vital decisions on our gas supplies and storage have been put off, risking the UK's energy security at a time of worrying international volatility."
Shell and Political Reactions
Shell described the approval of Jackdaw as an "important step" for the North Sea. Tony Nunan, Shell UK chief of staff, said: "Shell welcomes the UK Government's decision on Jackdaw. This is an important step in ensuring the UK North Sea can continue to contribute to the country's energy security and economy."
Reaction among Labour MPs was mixed. Former chancellor Rachel Reeves welcomed the decision, writing on X: "I welcome today's decision on Jackdaw. I have always argued that we should use our own resources to enhance our energy security." However, Leeds East MP Richard Burgon called it an "absolutely terrible decision", adding: "It will do nothing to lower people's energy bills or improve our energy security."
Energy minister Michael Shanks acknowledged that Jackdaw's impact on the UK's energy supply and security will be "relatively marginal" in the long-term picture. He told MPs: "We will not stop being a net importer of fossil fuels because of this decision. Our long-term trend for more than two decades now has been to import more. That's not going to change."
Shanks added: "And our answer long-term – to that security and resilience point is – to break away from fossil fuels so that we do have energy sovereignty here in the UK. That's going to come from renewables and from nuclear. It's not going to come from oil and gas."
