Comment on North Yorkshire fracking decision

Commenting, Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: “Although proponents of fracking will claim today’s decision as a victory, the fundamental questions around UK shale gas haven’t changed.

“As we see from protests outside the council today and from opinion surveys [1], the public is not supportive, and the economics remain unclear – so whether commercial fracking ever goes ahead is still an open question.

“Other issues also remain open. Last year, the Commons Environmental Audit Committee said fracking is incompatible with our climate change targets [2], and the government hasn't been able to show they’re wrong. If leakage rates are above a few percent, gas burning turns out to be worse than coal for climate change, and yet the government hasn’t set a maximum permissible leakage level.

“Lastly there’s the fact that the UK won’t own the gas – it’ll belong to the company extracting it, who will presumably sell it into the European market, at market rates. So whether it would really do anything for energy security or for bills is very much open to question." [3,4]

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Public support for fracking falls yet again (28 April 2016): http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/analysis/2456407/public-support-for-fracking-falls-yet-again

2. Environmental Audit Committee calls for halt to fracking (26 January 2015): http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news/environmental-risks-of-fracking-report/

3. Fracking won't cut bills and ministers 'oversold' shale gas benefits, experts say (12 November 2014): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/fracking/11224097/Fracking-wont-cut-bills-and-ministers-oversold-shale-gas-benefits-experts-say.html

4. Lord Browne: fracking will not reduce UK gas prices (29 November 2013): http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/29/browne-fracking-not-reduce-uk-gas-prices-shale-energy-bills