“`html
A comprehensive assessment of the Rosebank oil field, the UK’s largest undeveloped oil reserve, has revealed the potential extent of its environmental impact should governmental approval be granted.
Developers project that the utilization of oil products sourced from the Rosebank field would result in the release of nearly 250 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
While the annual amount may fluctuate, this figure is substantial when compared to the UK’s total emissions of 371 million tonnes in 2024.
Despite this, the field’s developer has asserted that its emissions are “not significant” in the context of the UK’s international climate commitments.
Conversely, opponents have characterized the assessment as an “admission of the vast climate change damage” that the project would precipitate.
Located approximately 80 miles northwest of Shetland, the Rosebank oil and gas field represents one of the most significant untapped fossil fuel deposits in UK waters.
Estimates suggest that the field holds up to 300 million barrels of oil, along with natural gas reserves, and is jointly owned by Norwegian energy corporation Equinor and British firm Ithaca Energy.
Initially approved in 2023, a subsequent court ruling in January mandated a more in-depth evaluation of the field’s environmental consequences, specifically addressing the climate impact of combusting the extracted fossil fuels.
A public consultation is now underway, scheduled to conclude on November 20, 2025.
Following the consultation, the Energy Secretary will determine whether to authorize the project’s progression.
Paul Morozzo, a senior climate campaigner at Greenpeace UK, described the updated figures as “a brazen admission… of the vast climate damage that would be caused from burning Rosebank’s oil and gas.”
Historically, environmental impact assessments for such projects only considered the consequences of extracting fossil fuels.
However, a Supreme Court ruling in June of the previous year established the requirement for authorities to account for the environmental impact of utilizing the extracted resources. This decision stemmed from a challenge to a local gas project in Surrey.
This ruling was then invoked in a subsequent challenge to the Rosebank oil field by environmental advocacy groups Uplift and Greenpeace, resulting in a favorable outcome in January.
Equinor was subsequently instructed to recalculate the “full impact” of the field, leading to a revised estimate of an additional 249 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the next 25 years.
This updated figure is more than 50 times greater than the initial estimate of 4.5 million tonnes associated with the extraction process alone.
Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, emphasized that the Rosebank project would serve as a critical test of the government’s commitment to addressing climate change.
“This enormous oil field is not consistent with the UK’s climate commitments. The world already has so much more oil than is safe to burn,” she stated.
The UK is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has consistently advocated for a transition away from fossil fuels.
During an industry conference on Tuesday, he characterized the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels as its “Achilles’ heel,” asserting that clean energy is the only viable solution for reducing energy costs.
The fossil fuels extracted from the Rosebank field are not guaranteed for domestic use and would be sold on the international market.
Consequently, the project is unlikely to exert a significant influence on domestic gas prices. The UK’s independent climate advisors concluded in 2022 that further domestic oil and gas extraction would have “at most, a marginal effect on prices.”
However, Arne Gurtner, Equinor’s senior vice president for the UK, previously stated that: “If the UK needs Rosebank oil, it will go to the UK through open market mechanisms.”
Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC’s Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
The Climate Change Committee said the UK should make climate change adaptions beyond the Paris Agreement.
Developers say the site will help cut emissions, but critics say a balance is needed with nature.
The energy secretary says the UK’s reliance on fossils fuels is a major “weakness” in a conference speech.
A new report finds the lack of tree planting is putting climate action, nature recovery and community wellbeing at risk.
India’s sunshine hours have fallen over the past 30 years due to clouds, aerosols and local weather.
“`