Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust highlights fears for wildlife and landscape as fracking ban is lifted

The Trust has long campaigned to protect precious wildlife areas across the county from the damaging impact of the exploration for and extraction of shale gas in locations including the heart of Sherwood Forest.

Following the Government’s announcement that fracking can go ahead in England, the Trust fears Nottinghamshire will become a battleground as energy companies seek to unlock the huge reserves of damaging fossil fuels.

Erin McDaid, head of communications, said: “Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is acutely aware that the nation is in the grip of cost of living and energy crises and the pressure this is placing on households and businesses.

"While we should avoid the game of crises ‘Top Trumps’, we cannot ignore the fact that we are already in the grip of climate and ecological crises, making the announcements over fracking and the possible new licenses to extract North Sea gas and oil extremely worrying.

"This approach would seriously undermine the Government’s well-documented and often repeated commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

The Wildlife Trust welcomes measures to help families, businesses and charities with soaring energy costs, but believes that long-term solutions to energy security and affordability will come through a focus on energy efficiency and investment in renewable energy sources.”

Erin added: “The prospect of future fracking fills us with dread, but also determination to continue standing up for wildlife.

"Such a clear change of direction, less than a year after hosting the COP 26 climate summit and at a time when the impacts of climate change are so viscerally evident, seems shortsighted to say the least.

"Consumers are told that energy efficiency is the first defense against higher bills, so surely rolling out measures such as home insulation is a ‘no brainer’.

"The gas accessed through fracking will unavoidably damage our shared environment with no real prospect of it pushing energy prices down or bolstering energy security for at least a decade – while in ten years’ time the impacts of climate change could be catastrophic.”