Three key tests have been set by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) - should the results meet their standards then fracking will be given the green light to go ahead.
Despite arguments from environmentalists the CCC insists that the UK will still be able to meet the UK's climate change targets if fracking goes ahead.
The three tests are as follows:
- Emissions should be strictly limited during shale gas development, production and well decommissioning. The CCC says this needs tight regulation, close monitoring of emissions, and rapid action to address any leaks.
- Overall gas consumption in the UK must remain in line with UK carbon budgets – so UK shale gas must displace imported gas, rather than increasing gas consumption overall.
- Emissions from shale gas production must be counted as part of the UK’s carbon budgets, and emissions in another part of the economy may need to be cut further in order to accommodate fracking.
Fracking hasn't taken place in the UK Since 2011 - anti-fracking campaigners have applied for judicial reviews on the decision with concerns for climate change.
Dr Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace, said: "The idea that fracking can be squared with the UK's climate targets is based on a tower of assumptions, caveats, and conditions on which there is zero certainty of delivery.
"The problem with ramping up a whole new high-carbon infrastructure and the fossil fuel vested interests to go with it is that you can't just dial it down later on if emissions start going through the roof."
