Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces a major test of his government’s energy and climate policy as decisions loom over the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gas project…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing a significant test of his government’s approach to the fossil fuel industry and climate policy as decisions approach on two major North Sea projects. A public consultation on the Rosebank oilfield ends today, following the close of consultation on the Jackdaw gas project last week. Shell and Equinor are developing both schemes through their joint venture, Adura.
The projects already hold licences, but their developers must secure fresh development consent after a landmark court decision brought the emissions from fossil fuel use into the approval process. Both projects had previously received consent under Conservative governments, Jackdaw in 2022 and Rosebank in 2023. Senior government officials expect Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh to approve the projects, potentially as early as next month. Any decision will come as record-breaking summer temperatures and wildfires in Britain have increased public concern about climate change.
Fahnbulleh’s first visit in her new post was to Aberdeen, the centre of Britain’s oil and gas industry. She met David Whitehouse, chief executive of the industry body Offshore Energies UK. “The mood music is different,” one industry executive said. “There’s a sense that the new secretary of state is willing to engage; the last one wasn’t.”
Lobbying has intensified as a decision draws closer. Backers say producing oil and gas domestically is preferable to importing it to meet demand because it reduces emissions from shipping gas, provides stronger regulation and supports British jobs and tax revenues. Oil and gas account for about 75 per cent of Britain’s primary energy demand because of continued dependence on gas for heating and electricity, and petrol and diesel for cars. The fuels are expected to retain a substantial role as Britain moves towards lower-carbon energy.
Rosebank lies about 80 miles north-west of the Shetland Islands and is Britain’s largest untapped oil reserve. It is projected to produce about 69,000 barrels of oil a day at peak output, as well as gas. Jackdaw is about 150 miles east of Aberdeen and could begin producing gas as soon as this autumn. At its peak, it is expected to supply about 6.5 per cent of UK North Sea gas production.
The Court of Session in Scotland quashed the projects’ previous approvals in early 2025 following the UK Supreme Court’s landmark Finch ruling a year earlier. The ruling, named after the campaigner who brought the case, found that development authorities must assess the carbon impact not only of extracting oil and gas, but also of burning the fuel in cars and factories. The judgment did not prevent high-emission projects from proceeding. Instead, it required their environmental effects to be set out and considered. Later guidance from the energy department gave ministers broad scope to weigh a project’s carbon dioxide impact against other considerations.
A spokesperson for the energy department said Fahnbulleh would consider views submitted during the public consultations before deciding. The spokesperson said the North Sea remained a “vital national asset” and that oil and gas “will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come”.
They added: “Our focus is on providing stability and supporting North Sea workers and communities as they continue to make a vital contribution to the UK’s economy.”
The decisions will test how Burnham balances climate commitments with energy security, employment and investment in North Sea communities. They will also show how his government applies the wider environmental assessment required by the Finch ruling while considering projects central to an industry that still supplies much of Britain’s energy. The outcome could shape the direction of future North Sea approvals.
