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The report argues that offshore oil and gas activities pose severe threats to the global commons, specifically the oceans and atmosphere. It details how seismic surveys harm marine life, production leads to catastrophic blowouts and underreported methane emissions, transportation increases the risk of spills and invasive species, and improper decommissioning leaves a legacy of leaking 'orphan' wells. The document emphasizes that these risks are magnified by climate change and that existing legal frameworks, including UNCLOS and the polluter pays principle, should be leveraged to phase out offshore fossil fuel extraction.

The document argues that offshore oil and gas production poses severe risks, including underreported greenhouse gas emissions from flaring and methane leaks, the high potential for devastating well blowouts—especially in deep waters—and chronic marine pollution from produced water. It highlights the failure of current cleanup technologies and the long-term socio-economic damage to coastal communities, concluding that halting offshore expansion is essential to meeting the 1.5°C global warming limit.

The report finds that the majority of Lloyd's managing agents lack formal policies to stop underwriting new fossil fuel projects, contradicting the market's net-zero goals. While some have restricted coal, very few have restricted oil and gas, and none have restricted LNG export terminals. The analysis identifies specific deals where Lloyd's syndicates provided coverage for major US coal mines, Arctic oil and gas assets, and US LNG terminals.

The document argues that the EU has failed its legal deadline to end overfishing by 2020 and calls for 2025 Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to be set well below scientific advice to build ecosystem resilience against climate change. It specifically recommends stricter management for the Western Mediterranean, depleted stocks with zero-catch advice, and deep-sea species, while urging the full implementation of the Landing Obligation through remote electronic monitoring.

The document argues that the UK has consistently set Total Allowable Catches (TACs) above scientific advice, failing to meet its own legal commitments under the Fisheries Act 2020 and international agreements. It recommends setting 2025 catch limits well below the maximum levels advised by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to create a 'climate buffer' and prioritize rapid stock recovery. Key proposals include implementing Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to combat illegal discarding, adopting an ecosystem-based approach that accounts for predator needs (especially for forage fish), and reinstating TACs for stocks where they were removed. The authors emphasize the need for a precautionary approach to deep-sea species and the urgent recovery of severely depleted stocks, such as Celtic Sea and Irish Sea cod, which are currently below biomass limit reference points.

The UK has met previous emissions targets primarily through the energy supply sector, but currently lacks credible plans for two-thirds of the reductions needed to reach its 2030 target of a 68% reduction compared to 1990 levels. To address this, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) emphasizes that over 75% of future reductions must come from non-energy sectors, specifically transport, buildings, agriculture, and land. Key recommendations include accelerating the scale-up of methane-suppressing feed, deploying 5 MtCO2 of engineered greenhouse gas removals annually by 2030, and prioritizing low-carbon hydrogen for industrial use-cases like steel and ammonia production rather than home heating. In aviation, while a SAF mandate is planned for 2025 to reach a 10% target by 2030, the brief warns against overreliance on SAF due to feedstock constraints and suggests exploring e-fuels and hydrogen. Nuclear energy is identified as a long-term necessity, requiring a shift toward standardised products to reduce costs.

Global Witness criticises the UK's crackdown on climate activists, citing the four-year prison sentence of Daniel Shaw and the use of the Public Order Act 2023 and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2022. The organisation highlights that over 7,000 climate protesters have been arrested since 2019 and argues that the fossil fuel industry has influenced the legislation used to muzzle defenders. It calls on the new Labour government to protect the right to peaceful protest.

The report argues that offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an ineffective and risky strategy that prolongs fossil fuel dependence. It highlights that proposed 'hubs' in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea face significant technical challenges, such as pressure management and leakage from legacy wells, while relying heavily on public subsidies. The document concludes that CCS often covers for expanded fossil fuel production and calls for a halt to these projects to protect marine ecosystems and accelerate a just energy transition.

Analysis of draft NECPs indicates that while EU member states have significantly increased wind and solar targets since 2019, the current trajectory falls short of REPowerEU goals. Renewables are projected to generate 66% of EU electricity by 2030, missing the 72% target. The report highlights a lack of data transparency in the drafts, particularly regarding power system flexibility and post-2030 decarbonisation pathways.

The EU Industrial Carbon Management Strategy aims to scale up CO2 capture, utilisation, and storage to meet 2040 climate targets, specifically targeting an annual injection capacity of at least 250 million tonnes in the European Economic Area by 2040. To achieve this, the Commission plans to address current imbalances in storage—which is currently concentrated in the North Sea—by establishing transparent permitting processes by 2025 and creating an investment atlas of potential storage sites. The strategy also envisions a vast transport network, potentially reaching 19,000 km by 2040, and proposes a regulatory package for CO2 transport and a demand aggregation platform by 2026. Financial mechanisms discussed include the Innovation Fund, Connecting Europe Facility, and a possible Important Project of Common European Interest for transport and storage. Additionally, the strategy emphasizes industrial carbon removals (such as BECCS and DACCS) to help reach a target of removing 400 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2040.

The report argues that CCS is essential for the EU to reach climate neutrality by 2050, noting that current deployment rates are far below required levels and that no operational CO2 storage sites currently exist within the EU. It recommends setting clear deployment targets for CCS, DACCS, and BECCS, and establishing a strategic plan to distribute storage basins across the region by 2035 to avoid over-reliance on the North Sea. To address financial barriers, the author suggests coordinating funding, using carbon contracts for difference (CfDs), and creating a dedicated tender for capture capacity. The report also emphasizes the need for a common regulatory framework for cross-border CO2 transport, the creation of an aggregation platform to match CO2 sources with sinks, and the development of market demand for near-zero carbon products. Finally, it advocates for the prioritization of permanent industrial carbon removals (DACCS and BECCS) and their gradual integration into compliance markets like the EU ETS, provided robust standards and monitoring are in place.

A coalition of NGOs, led by ClientEarth, is urging the European Commission to withdraw a proposal published on 6 December 2023 that would remove critical safeguards from multiannual plans (MAPs) for the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Western Waters. The NGOs argue that deleting the requirement to ensure less than a 5% probability of stocks falling below the limit level (Blim) would endanger depleted fish stocks and damage the EU's international reputation for sustainable fisheries management. They further allege that the proposal was issued without proper stakeholder consultation or impact assessment and appears intended to legalise an unlawful Council Regulation regarding 2024 fishing opportunities.

The document argues that the EU failed its 2020 legal deadline to end overfishing and continues to set Total Allowable Catches (TACs) above scientific advice. The NGOs recommend setting 2024 TACs well below the maximum catch levels advised by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to build ecosystem resilience against climate change. Key proposals include the mandatory roll-out of remote electronic monitoring (REM), the application of an ecosystem-based approach for forage fish, and the reinstatement of TACs for stocks where limits were previously removed. The report also emphasizes the need for stricter management of deep-sea stocks and the recovery of critically endangered species like the European eel.

A coalition of NGOs urges the UK to set 2024 Total Allowable Catches (TACs) at or below scientific advice to combat persistent overfishing and climate change impacts. The report highlights that 60% of 2023 TACs exceeded scientific advice and calls for an ecosystem-based approach, the implementation of remote electronic monitoring (REM), and stricter protections for depleted, deep-sea, and non-TAC stocks.

The document is a joint letter from a coalition of NGOs calling for the adoption of amendment NC12 to the UK Energy Bill. The amendment seeks to ban the venting and flaring of methane by 2025 and implement stricter measures to prevent unintended emissions. The authors argue that current waste in the North Sea oil and gas sector is sufficient to supply at least 760,000 average UK homes and that delaying the ban until 2030 would jeopardize the UK's energy security and global climate leadership. They highlight that methane is over 80 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide and contributes 0.5°C to current global warming. The letter warns that insufficient climate action could cost the UK economy 1% of GDP, or at least £22 billion per year, by 2045.

The report examines the transition of North Sea oil and gas producers toward net-zero or complete phase-out scenarios. It identifies government as the primary actor responsible for managing these transitions and emphasizes the need for participatory governance to overcome industry resistance. The analysis highlights that while the three countries share a geography, their different levels of economic dependency on fossil fuels lead to divergent transition stages and enabling conditions.

The report examines the transition of North Sea oil and gas producers toward net-zero or complete phase-out scenarios. It highlights that while the region shares geography, the three countries are at different stages of transition due to varying economic dependencies on fossil fuels. The authors argue that government must lead these transitions through state intervention, the deployment of clean technologies like offshore wind and CCS, and the creation of participatory governance structures to overcome industry resistance and ensure social equity for workers.

The report assesses Europe's geological CO2 storage potential, estimating theoretical capacity between 262 and 1520 GtCO2. It compares 'Domestic' (widespread) and 'Export' (limited basins) storage scenarios against 'Prioritised' and 'Technical Potential' demand scenarios. While Europe has sufficient long-term theoretical capacity, current announced projects are insufficient for 2035 demand. The study highlights that widespread domestic storage significantly reduces transport CAPEX compared to export-heavy models, though some countries like Finland and Estonia lack suitable sedimentary basins.

The report assesses Europe's theoretical CO2 storage capacity, estimating it between 262 and 1520 GtCO2, and matches this against industrial and non-industrial CCS demand scenarios for 2035 and 2050. It compares 'Export' scenarios (limited key basins) with 'Domestic' scenarios (widespread storage), finding that while Europe has sufficient long-term theoretical capacity, current announced projects are insufficient for 2035 demand. The analysis highlights that widespread domestic storage could halve transport CAPEX costs compared to export-heavy models, though certain regions like Northern Italy, the German North Sea, and Switzerland may face capacity constraints under high-demand scenarios.

The report examines the legal friction between the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the proposed Nature Restoration Law (NRL). It argues that the CFP's Article 11 'joint recommendation' process—used to protect marine areas from fishing—is plagued by delays, a de facto veto for fishing states, and a lack of accountability, which risks undermining the binding restoration targets of the NRL. The author proposes that the NRL be drafted with specific triggers and deadlines to force the CFP process forward and recommends that the European Commission take a more active role as a facilitator and mediator to prevent the watering down of environmental protections.