Our friends and partners Stop Rosebank and Uplift write:

Despite warnings from climate scientists and experts, the controversial Rosebank oil field – the biggest undeveloped field in the UK – was approved by the previous government last year. This decision was made while ignoring the 200 million tonnes of CO2 that would be released into the atmosphere when its oil and gas is burnt, which is more CO2 than the 28 poorest countries produce in a year.

We believe that the decision to approve Rosebank was not just a disaster for the climate, and morally and economically wrong, but unlawful. That is why our campaign is taking the Rosebank oil field to court. 

But today, we’ve had the brilliant news that the UK government will not defend the last government’s decision to approve the Rosebank oil field in our court case. It’s not yet clear if the oil company Equinor or the regulator that signed off Rosebank’s approval (the NSTA) will defend the case. If they do, the legal challenge will still move through the Scottish courts. But the government’s concession makes it even more likely that the decision to approve the field will be declared unlawful and need to be remade. The new government will then have the chance to stop Rosebank once and for all. 

For decades, fossil fuel companies have gotten away with disclosing only the pollution caused by getting the oil and gas out of the ground, while completely omitting the devastating harm from actually burning it. But thanks to a historic decision taken by the Supreme Court in the recent Finch case, oil and gas companies will now have to disclose the full extent of the emissions created by new fossil fuel projects.

The Rosebank oil field is a disaster on many levels. Not only will Rosebank bust UK climate targets, it won’t do anything to lower our energy bills, save jobs or make our energy supply more secure. Despite oil giant Equinor and Ithaca making billions off the back of the energy crisis, the UK public are set to hand over billions in tax breaks for them to develop Rosebank. Rosebank’s pipeline would also cut through a Marine Protected Area, which poses a direct threat to protected marine life.

Our new government was elected on a platform of shifting from oil and gas production to renewable energy. The government now has a mandate to lead the transition – to create new jobs, lower bills, boost the economy and ensure a liveable climate. It is also vital that the government provide a plan for a just and properly funded transition for oil and gas workers and the communities that depend on them. 

For a safe climate and affordable energy, we need to stop expanding oil and gas production. The energy crisis and the climate crisis are caused by our reliance on expensive fossil fuels. We need a rapid transition to renewable energy, insulation for millions of leaky homes, and investment in secure green jobs for current oil and gas workers.

We’re potentially on the brink of a major win, but it’s going to require all of us working together. Stopping Rosebank can set a precedent that can halt new oil and gas projects across the UK and beyond. And we are more confident than ever that we can win.

Want to support the court case? Join over 17,000 people by adding your name to the case. We can send a powerful message to the oil and gas industry that their days of unchecked exploitation are numbered. Add your name to the court case.