Environmental Statement - Maersk Oil

A ‐ 36
(as amended 2012)
Offshore Petroleum (Conservation of
Habitats) Regulations 2001 (as
amended 2007)
The Petroleum Act 1998
Birds Convention on Wetland of
International Importance Especially as
Waterfowl Habitats 1971 (The Ramsar
Convention)
Cetaceans Agreement on the Conservation of
Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North
Seas 1991 (ASCOBANS) and 2008
amendments
Balloch Field Development Environmental Statement
Appendix A – Review of Legislation
The Regulations apply the Habitats Directive and the Wild Birds Directive in relation to oil and gas plans or projects, and
under the Energy Act 2008 (Consequential Modifications) (Offshore Environmental Protection) Order 2010, CCS plans and
projects, wholly or partly on the United Kingdom’s Continental Shelf and superjacent waters outside territorial waters
(‘the UKCS’) (i.e. outside the 12 nm territorial zone).
Regulation 5 of the 2001 Regulations requires the Secretary of State to consider whether an appropriate assessment
should be undertaken prior to granting a licence under the Petroleum Act 1998, where the licence relates to an area
wholly or partly on the UKCS. The amended Regulations extend this requirement to those licenses within UK waters.
Licenses now extend to carbon sequestration activities in the UKCS as a result of the Energy Act 2008 (Consequential
Modifications) Offshore Environmental Protection) Order 2010.
The Ramsar convention aims to prevent encroachment or loss of wetlands on a worldwide scale, recognising the
importance of a network of wetlands on waterfowl. It is applicable to marine areas to a depth of 6m at low tide and
other areas greater then 6m depth that are recognised as important to waterfowl habitat.
Requires governments to undertake habitat management, conduct surveys and research and to enforce legislation to
protect small cetaceans.
Originally ASCOBANS only covered the North and Baltic Seas, as of February 2008 the ASCOBANS area has been extended
to include the North East Atlantic and Irish Sea.
Pending Legislation
Issue Legislation Regulator and Requirements
Emissions EU ETS Phase III (2013 – 2020) The aim of Phase III of the EU ETS will be to reduce EU emissions by 21% between 2005 and 2020. There will be no
National Allocation Plans (NAPs) and allocations will be managed centrally by the EU.
EC Directive 2009/29 (which outlines Phase III) is being transposed into UK law. Stage 1 was completed by the end of
2009 and Stage 2 is scheduled for the end of 2012.
The Climate Change Act 2008
Climate Change (Scotland) Act, 2009
The Climate Change Act intends to introduce powers to combat climate change by setting targets to reduce CO 2
emissions by at least 60% by 2050 and an interim target of 26‐32% by 2020, against a 1990 baseline.
Similarly, the Climate Change (Scotland) Act targets for an 80% reduction in CO 2 emissions from 1990 levels by 2050 with
an interim target of 42% by 2020. The Act also requires that the Scottish Ministers set annual targets, in secondary
legislation, for Scottish emissions from 2010 to 2050.