GREENPEACE has vowed to continue its fight in the Supreme Court after what it described as a victory for the fossil fuel industry in Scotland’s highest civil court. 

A legal bid by campaigners to have the British government’s decision to allow BP to drill for oil at a field in the North Sea overturned was rejected in the Court of Session today, amid the climate emergency. 

The environmental group took legal action calling for BP’s permit to drill the Vorlich field in 2018 to be revoked.

Following a two-day hearing last month, Lord Carloway, the Lord President, rejected the group’s claims.

Greenpeace argued that a “myriad of failures” in the public consultation exercise meant it was deprived of the opportunity to comment on the application for consent, and of a “clear, timely process for challenging the decisions.”

In his written judgment, Lord Carloway rejected these arguments, saying they were “overwhelmingly technical and unconvincing.”

Campaigners are now set to appeal against the ruling in the Supreme Court.

Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven said: “The government is celebrating a win for the fossil fuel industry after its lawyers argued in court that emissions from burning oil extracted by BP are “not relevant” when granting an oil permit.

“And now the Prime Minister is poised to sign off even more oil if he approves a new oil field at Cambo, against official guidance from climate experts.

“In just a few weeks’ time Boris Johnson will be opening global climate talks where his actions, not his words, will be what counts.

“And right now his actions are covered in oil.”

The campaigners also argued that when the application for drilling consent was first issued they would have wanted to make representations on a number of issues, including the “failure to assess climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Vorlich oil field cost £230 million to develop and has been operating for about nine months. 

Lord Carloway said there was “sufficient publicity of BP’s application to exploit the Vorlich field, the decisions to permit that development and the availability of an appeal to the court to challenge that decision.”

He said Greenpeace, as a “leading environmental watchdog, ought to have been well aware of the legal mechanisms available in order to mount a challenge.”