HUNDREDS of charities, faith leaders, politicians and other leading experts have demanded that the Labour Government rejects plans for Rosebank, calling on Keir Starmer to “fix Britain’s broken energy system”.
Around 250 organisations and individuals have so far signed the open letter to the Prime Minister, asking Starmer to back a plan for a properly funded just transition.
It comes after the Labour Government announced in August that it would not be challenging the judicial review brought against development consent for the site.
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Environmental organisations Greenpeace UK and Uplift are now set to challenge the UK Government’s decision to approve the oil field, arguing that the impact of emissions from burning the oil and gas extracted from the field was illegally ignored.
Among the signatories include Norwegian Green MP Lan Marie Nguyen Berg, who raised her concerns about Rosebank due to Norway’s involvement in the project.
The field is part-owned by Norway’s majority state-owned oil company Equinor, alongside UK-based company Ithaca Energy.
Other signatories include Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury and Olympic gold medalist Etienne Scott.
Campaigners say Rosebank – 80 miles off the coast of Shetland – would produce more CO2 than the world’s 28 lowest income countries combined do in one year.
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The project would also see a pipeline laid in a crucial marine protected area, and significantly curb the UK’s ability to meet its own climate targets.
Lauren MacDonald, lead campaigner at Stop Rosebank, said the project was “a disaster” both for the climate and the public.
She continued: “It won’t do anything to lower fuel bills or increase our energy security as most of it will be exported. It will only make even more profits for obscenely rich oil and gas companies.
“The effects of climate change are now clear to us all – the intense rainfall and flooding we’ve recently had here and in Europe will only be made worse and become more frequent as long as we keep burning oil and gas.
“People who are being impacted up and down the country are asking why on earth we’re continuing to develop massive new oil projects like Rosebank, when we know it will only put us in more danger.
“The Government has shown that it has common sense by agreeing that the original decision to approve Rosebank was unlawful. But if we win in court, the decision may well end up right back on the Government’s desk.
“The Government should take heed of the concerns of farmers, doctors, faith leaders and people across the UK and make the right choice to stop this field for good.”
The legal case against the Rosebank oil field will be heard on November 12 in the Court of Session.
If the case against the field is successful, the decision to reapprove Rosebank will lie with the UK Government.
You can read the open letter here.
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