Our view on fracking

View of rolling chalk downland from Ivinghoe Beacon in September at Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire — View of rolling chalk downland from Ivinghoe Beacon at Ashridge Estate | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Read our position on fracking, a mining process that uses the injection of high-pressure liquid to extract fossil fuels from shale rock.

We have a presumption against fracking on our land and we would object to any proposals for fracking activities that adversely affect the places in our care.

Climate change poses one of the greatest risks to the future of the places we care for. Globally there are already more fossil fuels available than can be burned within safe climate change limits, so we do not support further exploration or production of new or additional fossil fuel resources.

Fossil fuel infrastructure and activities also have negative impacts on landscape and settings, and on nature and the wider environment. We are particularly concerned that the safety of activities associated with fracking remains unproven.

In order to limit the impact of climate change on our environment we will continue to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, increase the amount of renewable energy we use, and support the wider shift to efficiency and cleaner sources of energy.