UK government approves Jackdaw North Sea project as oil and gas reliance stays high

Summary

The UK government has approved the Jackdaw North Sea project. The Guardian columnist Nils Pratley says the decision is a step toward a more grown-up North Sea policy on how much oil and gas is sensible for the UK to produce on the way to net zero. Pratley cites government data showing that oil and gas provided 75% of the UK's energy in 2025, and that even with the rollout of domestic renewables for generating electricity, about 43% of overall energy was imported last year. He quotes Andy Burnham, in his first fortnight as prime minister, saying: "The question isn't whether Britain will still be using oil and gas, the question is, where does it come from?"

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   21 Oct 2026, 09:59 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that the government's Jackdaw approval is a step toward a grownup North Sea policy, citing government data that oil and gas supplied 75% of UK energy in 2025 and about 43% of overall energy was imported last year.