The Supreme Court has handed down a landmark ruling that could impede the development of oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
In a case brought against Surrey county council for approving six oil wells in Horse Hill, north of Gatwick, the court has said that emissions produced by burning fossil fuels should be considered before approving projects to extract them.
While the council had considered the direct environmental impact of digging the wells before granting permission, the court ruled that it should also have considered the indirect emissions produced when oil from the site was burnt.
Environmental campaigners said the ruling set a precedent that would make it harder to approve other fossil fuel projects.
A proposed coal mine in Cumbria faces a
