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Environmental campaigners from Friends of the Earth protest outside the U.K. government building in Edinburgh to demand the U.K. government reverse its decision to approve Shell's Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea and instead move away from fossil fuels, on June 2, 2022. (Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images)
Climate activists in the U.K. announced emergency protests in London and Edinburgh for Thursday in response to the government's regulatory approval of Shell's new Jackdaw gas drilling project in the North Sea.
"Approving Jackdaw was a desperate and destructive move from [Prime Minister] Boris Johnson's government," said Greenpeace U.K., declaring its intention to "fight back and stop" the gasfield including through possible legal action.
Greenpeace was among the groups expressing outrage after Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said Wednesday that Jackdaw received final regulatory approval.
The large project, initially rejected by regulators, could produce 6.5% of Britain's gas output, according to Shell, which said it plans to start production on the field in the second half of 2025.
"We're turbocharging renewables and nuclear, but we are also realistic about our energy needs now," Kwarteng tweeted. "Let's source more of the gas we need from British waters to protect energy security."
Green groups swiftly batted down the energy secretary's statements as both a flawed approach to helping Britons deal with high fuel prices and a decision that flies in the face of climate science.
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"It's atrocious," said the StopCambo campaign, "that even though the science is clear that we can't have new oil and gas projects, they're giving the green light to yet another climate wrecking project. But it's not over."
Organizers with the campaign announced a 6:00 pm rally Thursday outside the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial strategy in London to reject not only the Jackdaw project but all new fossil fuel infrastructure.
"A liveable planet is incompatible with new oil and gas projects. Full stop," the event description reads.
The regulatory approval "is a betrayal of millions of families struggling to pay skyrocketing energy bills who need help right now," it continues. "We need insulated homes, cheaper bills, and quicker and greener energy solutions that don't destroy our planet!"
Friends of the Earth Scotland organized an afternoon protest outside the U.K. government building in Edinburgh and urged regulators to urgently reverse the approval.
Mary Church, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, accused the U.K. government of "pouring fuel on the fire of the social and climate crises by deepening our reliance on fossil fuels."
"Approving the Jackdaw field will do nothing to help people who face higher bills in the U.K. or to tackle the climate crisis," Church added. "The only people who benefit are executives and shareholders at Shell who are hellbent on destroying the planet for their own profit."
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Climate activists in the U.K. announced emergency protests in London and Edinburgh for Thursday in response to the government's regulatory approval of Shell's new Jackdaw gas drilling project in the North Sea.
"Approving Jackdaw was a desperate and destructive move from [Prime Minister] Boris Johnson's government," said Greenpeace U.K., declaring its intention to "fight back and stop" the gasfield including through possible legal action.
Greenpeace was among the groups expressing outrage after Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said Wednesday that Jackdaw received final regulatory approval.
The large project, initially rejected by regulators, could produce 6.5% of Britain's gas output, according to Shell, which said it plans to start production on the field in the second half of 2025.
"We're turbocharging renewables and nuclear, but we are also realistic about our energy needs now," Kwarteng tweeted. "Let's source more of the gas we need from British waters to protect energy security."
Green groups swiftly batted down the energy secretary's statements as both a flawed approach to helping Britons deal with high fuel prices and a decision that flies in the face of climate science.
Related Content

"It's atrocious," said the StopCambo campaign, "that even though the science is clear that we can't have new oil and gas projects, they're giving the green light to yet another climate wrecking project. But it's not over."
Organizers with the campaign announced a 6:00 pm rally Thursday outside the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial strategy in London to reject not only the Jackdaw project but all new fossil fuel infrastructure.
"A liveable planet is incompatible with new oil and gas projects. Full stop," the event description reads.
The regulatory approval "is a betrayal of millions of families struggling to pay skyrocketing energy bills who need help right now," it continues. "We need insulated homes, cheaper bills, and quicker and greener energy solutions that don't destroy our planet!"
Friends of the Earth Scotland organized an afternoon protest outside the U.K. government building in Edinburgh and urged regulators to urgently reverse the approval.
Mary Church, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, accused the U.K. government of "pouring fuel on the fire of the social and climate crises by deepening our reliance on fossil fuels."
"Approving the Jackdaw field will do nothing to help people who face higher bills in the U.K. or to tackle the climate crisis," Church added. "The only people who benefit are executives and shareholders at Shell who are hellbent on destroying the planet for their own profit."
Climate activists in the U.K. announced emergency protests in London and Edinburgh for Thursday in response to the government's regulatory approval of Shell's new Jackdaw gas drilling project in the North Sea.
"Approving Jackdaw was a desperate and destructive move from [Prime Minister] Boris Johnson's government," said Greenpeace U.K., declaring its intention to "fight back and stop" the gasfield including through possible legal action.
Greenpeace was among the groups expressing outrage after Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said Wednesday that Jackdaw received final regulatory approval.
The large project, initially rejected by regulators, could produce 6.5% of Britain's gas output, according to Shell, which said it plans to start production on the field in the second half of 2025.
"We're turbocharging renewables and nuclear, but we are also realistic about our energy needs now," Kwarteng tweeted. "Let's source more of the gas we need from British waters to protect energy security."
Green groups swiftly batted down the energy secretary's statements as both a flawed approach to helping Britons deal with high fuel prices and a decision that flies in the face of climate science.
Related Content

"It's atrocious," said the StopCambo campaign, "that even though the science is clear that we can't have new oil and gas projects, they're giving the green light to yet another climate wrecking project. But it's not over."
Organizers with the campaign announced a 6:00 pm rally Thursday outside the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial strategy in London to reject not only the Jackdaw project but all new fossil fuel infrastructure.
"A liveable planet is incompatible with new oil and gas projects. Full stop," the event description reads.
The regulatory approval "is a betrayal of millions of families struggling to pay skyrocketing energy bills who need help right now," it continues. "We need insulated homes, cheaper bills, and quicker and greener energy solutions that don't destroy our planet!"
Friends of the Earth Scotland organized an afternoon protest outside the U.K. government building in Edinburgh and urged regulators to urgently reverse the approval.
Mary Church, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, accused the U.K. government of "pouring fuel on the fire of the social and climate crises by deepening our reliance on fossil fuels."
"Approving the Jackdaw field will do nothing to help people who face higher bills in the U.K. or to tackle the climate crisis," Church added. "The only people who benefit are executives and shareholders at Shell who are hellbent on destroying the planet for their own profit."