Campaigners jubilant as government concedes legal case against Rosebank
THERE are some question marks hanging over the future of the Rosebank oil and gas field after the UK Government announced it will not defend the legal case against the development.
This follows a landmark ruling which requires regulators to consider the impact of burning oil and gas emissions when issuing licenses.
Campaigners have argued that ignoring the impact of emissions from burning Rosebank’s oil is unlawful and incompatible with the government’s plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a safe climate.
The decision not to defend the case in court does not mean the licenses for Rosebank, as well as the Jackdaw field off Aberdeen, have been withdrawn.
The controversial oil field to the northwest of Shetland got the green light in the dying days of the Tory government but it was immediately challenged in the courts by environmental campaigners.
The decision by the new UK government has been welcomed by Tessa Khan of Uplift who has campaigned against the development for many years.
“This government has rightly accepted that this huge oil field cannot proceed without the full extent of the damage it will do to our climate being taken into account. It is astonishing that the massive emissions from burning oil and gas have been overlooked by decision-makers till now,” she said.
“Experts have repeatedly warned that new oil and gas drilling will push us past safe climate limits, but Rosebank is also a bad deal for Britain. “It’s mostly oil for export and would do nothing to lower bills or boost our energy security yet, because of huge tax breaks for new oil and gas drilling, the UK public would effectively cover a huge chunk of the costs of developing it.
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Local Green councillor Alex Armitage added: “Local people in Shetland have campaigned against the Rosebank oil field for years and we are jubilant at this news today.
“The UK government has effectively admitted that it made the wrong decision to approve the oil field in the first place.
“With the UK Government pulling its support, it is now inconceivable that the Rosebank field will go ahead.
“The oil and gas industry has provided jobs and wealth for Shetland for over 50 years, but the industry has been in decline for decades.
“The challenge of climate change means that we have to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. As this transition gets under way in earnest, I will continue to stand beside energy workers to uphold their rights and ensure that their work continues to be decently paid and secured in the long term.”
Rosebank developer Equinor has already started shipping equipment in preparation of drilling which is due to start next year.
Lerwick Harbour is set to play a major role in developing the field.
During a visit to Shetland in June this year, the Norwegian developer acknowledged the concern over the development but made the point that despite the decline in the industry the demand for oil and gas will continue.
“But in that decline, I think, projects like Rosebank are actually the ones that should go forward, which come on with the lowest emissions as possible from the start and then with electrification opportunity along with that,” the company’s Arne Gurtner told Shetland News at the time.
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