UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Wednesday announced a national fracking ban will be reintroduced. The short-lived Truss government lifted a 2019 fracking moratorium in September. Sunak stated he will stand “by the manifesto” of the former ban initiated by his own Conservative Party. Other Truss energy projects are currently set to continue.

Truss eliminated the ban on fracking, citing the need for reliable energy supplies and reduction of rising energy costs. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing war in Ukraine, prices for fuel and basic goods have increased dramatically. Proponents of fracking cited the additional energy resources as a short-term price fix for consumers. They also emphasized long-term energy independence, particularly reduced reliance on Russia.

However, a majority of UK citizens do not support the process near their homes. The 2019 ban cited worries from local communities and environmental groups about the increased probability of tremors or earthquakes surrounding fracking sites. The British Oil and Gas Authority concluded in 2019, “it is not possible with current technology to accurately predict the probability of tremors associated with fracking.” Since the ban, technology used to predict well site tremors has not significantly improved.

Opponents of lifting the ban also pointed to the limited impact shale gas fracking would have on the UK’s energy portfolio. As of the 2019 ban, the UK had three test wells. Shale gas infrastructure can take years to develop, and meaningful impacts on short-term energy prices would be negligible.