On Wednesday 12 March, campaigners from Fossil Free London unfurled a large banner across Westminster Bridge to protest the potential re-approval of the Rosebank oil field after its approval under the previous government was ruled unlawful in Scotland’s Court of Session:
This follows hints the Labour Party leadership are seeking to re-approve the field, which some MPs say would mean ‘breaking point’ in party relations.
Rosebank: here we go again…
The 10 metre banner quoted Labour’s own 2024 manifesto claims that new oil licences for exploration won’t ‘take a penny off our bills’, highlighting the hypocrisy of the government both acknowledging that new field exploration ‘cannot make us energy secure, and will only accelerate the worsening climate crisis’ while rumouring that they will reapprove Rosebank – the largest undeveloped oil field in the North Sea:
Labour’s own Secretary of State for Energy Security, Ed Miliband, also said:
The evidence is clear: Rosebank will do nothing to cut bills, is no solution to our energy security, and would drive a coach and horses through our climate commitments.
Following the oil field’s approval being overturned in the Scottish Courts in January, the UK Government will now decide to re-approve or reject the field after their oil and gas consultation concludes in spring 2025.
Rosebank is the largest undeveloped oil field in the North Sea. If developed, the Rosebank oil and gas field would release emissions equivalent to those produced by all 28 low-income countries in the world:
Equinor is majority-owned (68%) by the Norwegian government, which has a sovereign wealth fund worth in the region of $1.3 trillion. The UK public will cover the vast majority (up to 90%) of the costs of developing Rosebank, with profits flowing to the Norwegian oil company.
Just say no
Robin Wells, Director of Fossil Free London said
Labour needs to get off the fence. This new oil field just makes no sense. Their manifesto points out, as the Conservatives did before them, that more North Sea oil and gas will be no good for people in this country, and turbocharge the overheating of our world
So why, after a court case ruled the field totally incompatible with climate action, would there even be a question of them reapproving it? Why are they paying for Equinor’s caviar while the British people struggle to buy food?
This government needs to cut bills and fund climate solutions, instead it seems they’d rather pile more runways and oil rigs onto the fire.
Featured image and additional images via Fossil Free London
