Artists Urge Burnham to Reject Rosebank Oil Field Plans
Prominent musicians, including Robert Smith and Thom Yorke, challenge government's energy security stance amid climate change concerns.
Callum Smith
An open letter signed by 211 prominent artists has called on Andy Burnham to reject plans for the Rosebank oil field.
Campaign group Stop Rosebank insists that record heatwaves and wildfires demand an immediate halt to fossil fuel expansion. Work at the Rosebank project, located approximately 80 miles north-west of the Shetland Islands, has ceased following a legal challenge on climate grounds.
A 2024 legal challenge in the Court of Session in Edinburgh argued that consent for the Rosebank development proceeded without fully considering the impact of burning the fossil fuels it would produce. The judge ruled that operators could continue preparatory work but must stop short of producing oil and gas until a final decision emerges.
A fresh environmental impact assessment concluded that the oil and gas from the Rosebank development will generate about 250 million tonnes of planet-warming greenhouse gases over its lifetime. This figure is equivalent to approximately two-thirds of the UK's total emissions for 2024; the Rosebank oil field contains an estimated 300 million barrels of oil.
Adura, the company behind both the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects, states these developments would result in £10.8 billion in investment and support thousands of jobs. Rosebank and Jackdaw could support 3,500 jobs during construction and 880 jobs during production.
The UK Government maintains that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in energy security alongside the transition to clean power. A spokesperson for the Department of Energy Security and and Net Zero stated that the North Sea remains a vital national asset, supporting jobs, growth, and the UK’s energy security.
The spokesperson further stated that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in the energy system for decades to come, alongside transitioning to clean power to protect jobs and tackle the climate crisis. Offshore experts claim that failing to drill will only lead to more imports.
Andy Burnham previously endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty. The government's consultation on the Rosebank oilfield closed on Monday, and the consultation for the Jackdaw gasfield closed a week prior.
Labour ministers are now deciding whether drilling should proceed, with the Jackdaw gas field representing another planned North Sea development off the coast of Aberdeen. The final decision will reportedly be taken by the regulator Opred and approved by Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh, though other reports suggest the decision now rests with the prime minister.