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UK’s Burnham Weighs Approval for Oil and Gas Drilling in the North Sea
Prime Minister Andy Burnham weighs proposals for two North Sea fields capable of heating 1.4 million homes, according to estimates from the Conservative Party.
On Tuesday, protesters gathered outside London's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces a key decision on whether to approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea drilling projects.
The former Conservative government previously approved both sites, but a court in Edinburgh ruled the approvals unlawful last year after a legal challenge from Greenpeace; officials have expected a decision since August consultations closed.
Almost 600 climate and health experts wrote to the government last month arguing that approving the projects would breach climate commitments, while analysts at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit estimated more than 90% of North Sea oil and gas has been extracted.
President Donald Trump claimed in August that people in Aberdeen were "dancing in the streets" following reports Burnham would approve drilling; lawmaker Graeme Downie warned that failing to proceed would cause investment and jobs to leave Britain.
Separately, critics raised concerns about Rosebank's links to the Israeli company Delek Group, which activists say profited from settlements in the West Bank; the Conservative Party argued Jackdaw could heat 1.4 million homes this winter if approved.