More than 250 organisations and individuals, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury, have signed an open letter urging Sir Keir Starmer to stop the Rosebank development in the North Sea.

Permission has been granted to drill in the untapped field off Shetland, but that decision will go to a judicial review at the Court of Session following a challenge by Greenpeace and Uplift.

Both the UK government and the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) have already accepted that, in light of a Supreme Court ruling that the climate impact of burning coal, oil and gas must be taken into account when decisions are made to approve fossil fuel projects, at least one part of the process was unlawful.

If the environmental groups are successful in their challenge, the owners will be forced to resubmit environmental assessments and the development would likely only go ahead if the UK government issues a new licence consistent with the law.

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Individuals and organisations such as Save The Children, WWF, Oxfam, Oceana, Friends of the Earth and Make My Money Matter have signed an open letter urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to scrap Rosebank if the judicial review goes in favour of Uplift and Greenpace.

Bishops representing The Church of England, the Catholic Church and the Scottish Episcopal Church have lent their support, as well as associate professor and TV doctor Chris Van Tulleken of BBC’s Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, Helen Browning, Farmer and CEO of the Soil Association and senior health workers across the UK. 

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is among the signatories, as is Olympic gold medallist Etienne Stott MBE.

Chris Van Tulleken, Associate Professor at UCL and TV doctor said:  “I see first-hand the devastating impact that climate change has on human health. From rising respiratory diseases caused by air pollution to the growing threats of heatwaves, wildfires, and infectious diseases, the evidence is clear. We must stop our reliance on oil and gas if we are to protect public health and ensure a liveable future. 

(Image: free)

“The shift toward clean energy isn't just an environmental imperative—it’s a health emergency. 

"We should be acting now by saying no to huge new oil fields like Rosebank in the North Sea. 

“The negative health impacts of our changing climate are already here, and we must listen to the experts now and do everything in our power to stop carbon emissions. The time to end new oil and gas is right now. ”

Helen Browning, Arable Farmer and CEO at the Soil Association commented: “As a farmer I know that climate change poses one of the biggest challenges for the UK’s food security. More frequent and extreme storms and floods are making growing food harder, and as the global temperature rises UK weather is becoming increasingly unpredictable. 

“Let’s see the government stand up for a secure, sustainable future for both food and energy. That means saying  no to new oil fields, like Rosebank, and focusing instead on developing renewable energy while helping farming move to a more resilient model less dependent on fossil fuels.”

Lauren MacDonald, Lead Campaigner at Stop Rosebank said: “The Rosebank project is a disaster for our climate and a bad deal for the public. It won’t do anything to lower fuel bills or increase our energy security as most of it will be exported. It will only make even more profits for obscenely rich oil and gas companies.

“The effects of climate change are now clear to  us all - the intense rainfall and flooding we’ve recently had here and in Europe will only be made worse and become more frequent as long as  we keep burning oil and gas . People who are being impacted up and down the country  are asking why on earth we’re continuing to develop massive new oil projects like Rosebank, when we know it will only put us in more danger 

“The government has shown that it has common sense by agreeing that the original decision to approve Rosebank was unlawful. But if we win in court, the decision may well end up right back on the government’s desk. Government should take heed of the concerns of farmers, doctors, faith leaders and people across the UK and make the right choice to stop this field for good.”

A spokesperson for Equinor, the company granted the licence to drill in the field, said: "Equinor – in principle – does not comment on ongoing litigation. Equinor welcomed regulatory approvals for the Rosebank development in 2023 and will continue to work closely with all relevant parties to progress the project.

"It is vital for the UK and will bring benefits in terms of local investment, jobs and energy security."