Climate researchers have called on Keir Starmer not to approve the development of a major new oil field in the North Sea.
The Treasury has reportedly been considering giving the project the go-ahead as part of plans to maximise the UK’s economic growth.
But the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment warned that the project would jeopardise efforts to keep domestic carbon emissions in check while undermining the UK’s reputation for climate leadership.
After the Oil and Gas Authority gave the go-ahead for developing the Jackdaw project in May 2022, experts warned the previous Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, that “if the UK allows any new development of oil and gas fields, it will severely undermine … claims of leadership by contributing to further oversupply of fossil fuels, and making it more difficult for the world to limit warming to 1.5°C”. But the Authority’s successor, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), went on to grant a licence for Rosebank in September...