Britain Approves New Gas Drilling in the North Sea

The British government greenlit a major offshore natural gas project in the North Sea on Wednesday, defying its own climate change pledge to halt new fossil fuel extraction. The approval for the Jackdaw field, off the coast of Scotland, is a major victory for Britain’s oil and gas industry, unions and cities in Britain’s energy heartland, which consider the project an economic lifeline. It is also a win for President Trump , who has pressured a succession of British leaders to “open up” the North Sea to new oil and gas drilling. Amid a sharp rise in energy prices caused by the war in Iran, British leaders cast the decision as a crucial step toward reducing the country’s reliance on imported fuels. Jackdaw’s gas would be used in Britain and fed into the gas network. “We’re committed to moving towards renewable energy and reaching net zero by 2050,” Andy Burnham, the prime minister, said in a statement. But, he added, “Even on our ambitious climate path, we’ll still require oil and gas as part of our energy needs for decades to come. That’s why we’re taking a pragmatic approach to the North Sea.” Mr. Burnham also on Wednesday announced the creation of a government fund to support renewable energy. According to the energy ministry, the fund will begin with 2 billion pounds (about $2.6 billion) in funds with future revenue from offshore drilling feeding into it over time. Environmental activists called the approval of Jackdaw a betrayal of the country’s efforts to transition to renewable energy. They noted that the decision comes weeks ahead of a United Nations climate summit in Turkey, where Mr. Burnham has said he will lead the British delegation and “meet the climate challenge.” We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe .