UK Supreme Court ruling hailed as victory for climate action

The UK Supreme Court ruled that the County Council of Surrey should have considered the full climate impact of a proposed series of oil and gas wells. The court agreed with environmental campaigners that councils should consider not just emissions from building wells but also from burning the oil they contain. Patricia Kameri-Mbote of UNEP stated: "It is a very important ruling. It ensures that the true environmental cost of fossil fuel projects is considered." The court said the law governing environmental impact assessments did not impose a geographical limit on the fallout from oil and gas developments. The court also rejected the "drug dealer defence," where fossil fuel companies argue that if they don't supply oil and gas, someone else will, quoting UNEP's report that "leaving oil in the ground in one place does not result in a corresponding increase in production elsewhere.