Britain will impose an immediate stop on fracking, the government announced on Saturday, saying the industry risked causing too much disruption to local communities through earth tremors.
The government has banned fracking with immediate effect in a watershed moment for environmentalists and community activists.
Ministers also warned shale gas companies it would not support future fracking projects, in a crushing blow to companies that had been hoping to capitalise on one of the new frontiers of growth in the fossil fuel industry.
The decision draws a line under years of bitter opposition to the controversial extraction process in a major victory for green groups and local communities.
The government had previously signalled its support for the shale gas industry as it seeks ways to cut Britain’s reliance on imports of natural gas which is used to heat around 80% of Britain’s homes.
But fracking, which involves extracting gas from rocks by breaking them up with water and chemicals at high pressure, is fiercely opposed by environmentalists who say it is at odds with Britain’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Saturday’s announcement comes as Johnson gears up for an election on Dec. 12.
Fracking as cost the taxpayer at least £32m so far without producing any energy in return.
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