THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF CONTINUED NORTH SEA OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Richard Ifeanyi Akunne

doi:10.67809/ijetrm.21723320

Abstract

The United Kingdom continues to license new oil and gas projects in the North Sea while maintaining legally
binding net-zero targets. This paper examines the environmental and public health consequences of that
contradiction. The analysis focuses on three areas: marine ecosystem degradation, climate and pollution risks, and
health impacts across direct, indirect, and socio-economic dimensions. Offshore operations release thousands of
tonnes of oil annually through produced water, leave contaminated cuttings piles on the seabed, and contribute to
methane leakage. Routine discharges and small-scale spills cumulatively degrade benthic biodiversity.
Downstream combustion of extracted fuels adds over 200 MtCO₂e per year, a figure excluded from territorial
emissions accounting. For workers, exposure to benzene and other hydrocarbons persists despite safety
improvements. For the wider population, indirect effects—heat-related mortality, flooding, air pollution, and food
system disruption—are harder to trace but carry greater long-term significance. Socio-economic dependence on
the sector also creates instability and unevenly distributed burdens. The paper concludes that continued extraction
is not a neutral transition strategy but a policy inconsistency. Managing decline rather than expanding production
would better align with climate and health priorities. Recommendations include phasing down new licensing,
strengthening independent monitoring, integrating health impact assessments into energy policy, and supporting
regional economic diversification.

Keywords

Environment, North Sea, Public Health, Oil & Gas, Extraction

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