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Scientists urge PM to reject new North Sea drilling at Rosebank and Jackdaw
The open letter warns approving Rosebank and Jackdaw would contradict climate commitments and cites a court ruling that requires fuller environmental assessment of emissions from extracted fuel.
Experts who helped shape Andy Burnham’s Greater Manchester carbon neutral by 2038 pledge have urged the prime minister to unequivocally reject new North Sea drilling, saying backtracking would send the wrong message amid extreme heat and wildfires. In an open letter to the prime minister, Prof Kevin Anderson and other scientists from the Tyndall Centre at the University of Manchester said they were concerned by reports that Burnham’s government could approve development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oilfields, which had been granted approval under the Conservatives but were put on hold by legal action.
The letter points to a court ruling that a more detailed assessment of environmental impact is needed, including how burning fossil fuels extracted from the fields would affect the climate. The scientists argue that any go ahead would represent a profound departure from the principles promoted when Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester.
The piece also notes that Labour promised no new oil and gas licences would be issued, though Jackdaw and Rosebank were already in the system at the time of the last general election. A consultation on Jackdaw is set to finish on 8 August, according to the report from the Guardian Business.