A group of leading climate researchers from the Tyndall Centre at the University of Manchester has publicly urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reject approval for new oil and gas development in the North Sea. The scientists, led by Professor Kevin Anderson, point to his previous work as mayor of Greater Manchester, where he championed an ambitious carbon neutrality target by 2038 that they helped develop.
The letter addresses reports suggesting Burnham’s government intends to greenlight the Jackdaw and Rosebank oilfields. These projects received initial approval under the previous Conservative administration but were halted pending a more thorough environmental impact assessment that would account for the climate effects of burning extracted fossil fuels.
The academics contend that approving further drilling would represent a departure from the climate principles Burnham previously promoted and would send a problematic signal internationally regarding the UK’s commitment to climate action. They cite the current scientific consensus that global carbon dioxide emissions must decrease by approximately 8 percent annually to meet the Paris Agreement’s 2°C temperature ceiling. The letter notes that global temperatures have already reached the agreement’s lower limit of 1.5°C, with recent extreme weather events including widespread moorland fires affecting air quality in Greater Manchester.
While the Labour government pledged not to issue new oil and gas licences, both the Jackdaw and Rosebank projects were already in the approval pipeline before the recent general election. A public consultation on the Jackdaw development is scheduled to conclude on 8 August. The scientists emphasize that remaining global carbon budgets continue to shrink rapidly and argue that approving new fossil fuel extraction cannot be reconciled with the UK’s international climate obligations.
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