Oceans group takes UK government to court over oil and gas licences

Issuing licences in the North Sea without accounting for environmental impact was unlawful, Oceana UK says

A marine conservation group has initiated legal action against the UK government, claiming the Conservatives' decision to issue North Sea oil and gas licences without taking into account their impact on the environment was unlawful.

Oceana UK, part of an international conservation organisation, said that in issuing 82 licences, Claire Coutinho, the secretary of state for energy security, and the North Sea Transition Authority, ignored advice from independent government experts about the potential effects on marine protected areas (MPAs).