Green group launches legal bid in fracking case

An environmental charity has intervened in the legal challenge to the Scottish Government’ sf racking ban.

Petrochemical giant Ine - os, alongside Aberdeen firm Reach csg, is taking Scottish ministers to court over their decision to convert a moratorium on the controversial gas extraction technique into an indefinite ban. Now green group Friends of the Earth Scotland has submitted a public interest intervention in the case, due to be heard in May at the Court of Session.

Announcing plans to seek a judicial review in January, Ineossaidt here were “very serious errors” in the decision-making process. The firm, which holds two fracking licences in Scotland, is challenging the legality of the ban and seeking compensation.

However, Friends of the Earth Scotland will argue the ban is lawful, and arguably required in order to meet Scotland’ s legally binding climate change commitments. Its lawyers say it is the first public interest intervention granted in the Court of Session on environmental grounds.

The charity’s head of campaigns, Mary Church, said: “We are getting involved in Ineos’ sjudici al review of the fracking ban in order to put for ward crucial climate change arguments in support of the ban.”