The UK’s potential new North Sea oil and gas fields, which currently hold early-stage licences, could emit as much carbon dioxide as all British households produce over 30 years if developed, according to research by Uplift, a campaigning group.

These findings have intensified calls for the government to reject demands from fossil fuel companies seeking final permits to commence operations.

Numerous small sites, along with controversial large projects like the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields, have received initial licences but remain non-operational. If all these sites proceed, their emissions would significantly impact global efforts to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Licensed but undeveloped fields are estimated to contain up to 3.8 billion barrels of oil equivalent, which, if burned, would release approximately 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. This is comparable to the 50 million tonnes emitted annually by the UK’s 28 million households.

Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: “The scale of the planned drilling by fossil fuel companies in the North Sea is alarming. How can it be right that, while we strive to reduce our climate impact – and household emissions fall from people installing solar panels and switching to heat pumps – the oil and gas industry is given a free pass to generate massive emissions?”

While the government has pledged to halt new licences for oil and gas fields, it has not withdrawn existing licences in the pipeline. Under the UK’s licensing system, exploration licences can be issued at an early stage, with years or even decades passing before production permits are granted.

The previous government prioritised maximising extraction, aiming to exploit “every last drop” from the North Sea, which has left a substantial number of potential new fields awaiting further development.

Historically, climate checks for new fields did not account for the emissions generated by burning the extracted oil and gas. However, this changed in June following a landmark supreme court ruling, known as the “Finch ruling,” which mandated that such emissions must be included in environmental assessments.

Shortly after Labour assumed power, the government issued updated guidance requiring operators to account for these emissions in their assessments. A consultation on how to handle new fields under these updated rules is underway and will conclude in early January.

Uplift’s new research is the first to comprehensively reveal the environmental impact of the potential pipeline of new fields. Tessa Khan, director of Uplift, urged ministers to make it clear that no new fields would proceed, effectively halting development.

“We finally have a government that is willing to apply common sense and accept that the emissions from burning oil and gas should be factored into decisions on whether or not to approve new drilling,” she said. She called on the UK to send a strong signal to other countries, which are also considering new drilling.

“Governments around the world also know that we have discovered more fossil fuels than are safe to burn and that some reserves need to be kept in the ground if we are to stay within safe climate limits. There is compelling evidence that the emissions from new North Sea drilling are incompatible with these limits,” she said.

She highlighted the importance of a ban on new licences, which applies to fields that have not yet received any permits. This ban, expected to be detailed in a government consultation next year, could prevent the extraction of an estimated 4 billion barrels of oil.

Labour faces significant opposition from the oil and gas industry, as well as workers and unions representing the sector.

Mark Wilson, operations director for Offshore Energies UK, which represents the oil and gas industry, said: “UK oil and gas demand is forecast to outstrip domestic production, even if these resources are brought to market. Limiting the production and therefore the supply of UK oil and gas within a mature and declining basin like the North Sea is not an effective way to address the challenge of delivering a net zero energy future.

“Preventing the development of existing reserves and resources won’t fix the climate challenge, but it will threaten UK jobs, communities and income and negatively impact the livelihoods of the skilled people whose expertise we need to deliver the UK’s net zero goals.”

Khan emphasised the need for a “just transition” for workers as the North Sea’s role inevitably declines. Even with increased investment in extraction, the region’s output is projected to dwindle. Khan argued that prioritising sustainable energy development and providing support for affected workers would be a more responsible path forward.

“New drilling is not the answer for the UK’s energy workers. In the past decade, despite new fields being approved and hundreds of new licenses being handed out, the number of jobs supported by the industry has more than halved as the North Sea declines,” Khan highlighted.

“What supply chains, workers, and their communities have long needed is a proper plan to create good quality, clean energy jobs in the places that need them most. This is the critical job for government. Approving new drilling delays the UK’s transition and distracts from the urgent action that workers need today.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “Our priority is a fair, orderly and prosperous transition in the North Sea in line with our climate and legal obligations, which drives towards our clean energy future of energy security, lower bills and good, long-term jobs. We will not revoke existing oil and gas licences and will manage existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan, and we will not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields.”

The spokesperson added: “Clean, homegrown energy is the best way to protect bill payers and secure Britain’s energy independence while tackling climate change, which is why we announced the biggest ever investment in offshore wind and are moving ahead with new North Sea industries like carbon capture and storage and hydrogen.”