In June 2024, the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling in the case of Finch v Surrey County Council, requiring planning authorities to assess downstream greenhouse gas emissions before granting permission for fossil fuel extraction projects. The decision, which overturned Surrey County Council’s approval of oil extraction at Horse Hill, marked the end of a five-year legal battle led by campaigner Sarah Finch and the Weald Action Group.
The Supreme Court’s majority decision emphasized the importance of providing decision makers with full information on the environmental impact of proposed developments and allowing for public debate before granting planning permission. The ruling rejected arguments that environmental harm could be ignored if oil extraction was simply moved to another location, highlighting the global nature of climate change and the impact of combustion emissions.
This groundbreaking judgment is expected to have far-reaching implications not only in the UK but also in other countries where the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive applies. The decision sets a precedent for assessing downstream greenhouse gas emissions in fossil fuel extraction projects and is likely to influence similar cases in jurisdictions beyond the EU, potentially impacting the future of fossil fuel extraction worldwide.
