UK greenlights Rosebank oil field amid climate scrutiny

LONDON — The U.K. has given the green-light to Rosebank, the country’s biggest untapped oil field, amid increasing scrutiny of the country’s climate credentials.

A spokesperson for oil and gas regulator the North Sea Transition Authority said on Wednesday: “We have today approved the Rosebank Field Development Plan which allows the owners to proceed with their project.

“The FDP is awarded in accordance with our published guidance and taking net zero considerations into account throughout the project’s lifecycle.”

The U.K. government has continually leaned into fossil fuels as a key part of its energy strategy, and earlier this year pledged to max out reserves as it granted hundreds of new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea.

“We are investing on our world-leading renewable energy but, as the independent Climate Change Committee recognise, we will need oil and gas as part of that mix on the path to net zero and so it makes sense to use our own supplies from North Sea fields such as Rosebank,” said Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho Wednesday.

The news also comes less than a week after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that he would water down a swathe of key net zero policies, including delaying a ban on phasing out combustion-engine cars from 2030 to 2035.

The party has set out a clear dividing line with the opposition Labour Party — which has pledged to ban all oil and gas developments, but not revoke existing licenses — ahead of the upcoming general election.

The approval was granted to field owners Equinor and Ithaca Energy, following the acceptance of their environmental statement. Equinor has estimated that the Rosebank field will be capable of producing 69,000 barrels of oil and 44 million cubic feet of gas per day at its peak.

“Rosebank has been a huge untapped resource and now this investment will bring in billions of pounds into our economy to help secure our future energy supply,” said Chancellor Jeremy Hunt Wednesday.

Climate campaign groups, who have been urging the government not to give the go-ahead to the field, were quick to condemn the move Wednesday.

“There are strong grounds to believe that the way this government has come to this decision is unlawful and we will see them in court if so,” said Tessa Khan, a climate lawyer and executive director of the campaign group Uplift. “We shouldn’t have to fight this government for cheap, clean energy and a livable climate, but we will.”

Caroline Lucas, Westminster’s sole Green MP, branded the move “morally obscene.”