Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer MP has welcomed a Scottish court ruling that government approval of the giant new Rosebank and Jackdaw developments was unlawful because it did not account for the significant emissions that would be caused by burning the fields’ oil and gas.
Carla Denyer said: “This is a victory not just for the campaigners who have been fighting against new oil drilling at Rosebank and Jackdaw, but for common sense. The science is clear and the stakes are high: there can be no new oil and gas developments if we are to have a chance of staying within safe climate limits.
“We’ve already seen the effects of at least 1.2°C degrees of global heating: from record-breaking heatwaves on almost every continent and deadly floods taking people’s lives and livelihoods across the world. In this context, it would be morally scandalous to allow fossil fuel companies like Equinor to start extracting from new fields – for the sake of their own profits and regardless of the consequences for the rest of us.
“Aside from being a climate crime, opening new oil and gas fields like Rosebank goes entirely against what’s needed to strengthen the UK’s energy security, lower bills, and protect workers – which is to invest in a rapid and fair transition to renewable industries which have a long-term future.
“If this government is serious about protecting us from the climate crisis and securing a liveable future for our children, it will revoke Rosebank’s license so that there is absolutely no question of this development going ahead. It must also refuse consent for the 13 other oil and gas drilling projects licensed by the previous government, and send a clear signal to the fossil fuel industry that they have no future in the UK.”
Follow this news feed: Green Party