The energy that fossils fuels have provide have the energy which has fuelled and sustained global development and provide a key raw material for many essential and everyday items. There is however now a clear link between fossils fuels and climate change (see INSERT REFENCE), and the many broader environmental, health and social impacts.

Newcastle University’s research spans the potential environmental and social impacts of shale gas exploitation. It jointly leads the ReFINE research consortium and co-leads the UK Shale Gas Landscape project, which is a part of the UK Unconventional Hydrocarbon program and is a cross-cutting consortium to establish the current and future status of the shale gas landscape (SGL) in the UK.