Investing.com -- Britain's High Court ruled on Friday that the issuance of more than two dozen oil and gas exploration licences was lawful, rejecting a legal challenge from marine conservation group Oceana UK.
The case centered on 28 licences granted in May 2024 under the previous British government. Oceana UK had argued that officials failed to properly consider the impact on climate change and did not adequately assess risks to protected marine life.
Britain's energy department opposed the legal challenge, stating that the licences only permit early exploration activities and that further environmental assessments would be conducted before any actual oil or gas production could begin.
The case, which was heard in March, represents the latest in a series of legal challenges over fossil fuel development to reach the courts. Environmental campaigners have increasingly turned to legal action as a strategy to address climate change concerns, though with varying degrees of success.
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