London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has suggested he will not intervene to block the development of the Rosebank oil and gas field, despite a court ruling that halted the project and sent the decision back to the government. His stance aligns with the government’s earlier pledge not to issue new oil and gas exploration licences while allowing existing ones to proceed.
Starmer’s government has maintained that while it will not approve new licences due to environmental concerns, it will not revoke those already granted. The future of two major projects—Shell’s Jackdaw and Equinor’s Rosebank—was thrown into uncertainty after a court overturned their approvals following legal challenges from climate activists.
“I can’t preempt the decision, but you know, we did say that where a licence had already been granted, we wouldn’t interfere with them,” Starmer told Sky News on Thursday. “I’ll be open with you, oil and gas is part of the future mix for decades to come.”
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Equinor and its partner Ithaca Energy are seeking to develop Rosebank, one of the UK’s last major untapped oil reservoirs. However, the project has become a focal point for climate campaigners who argue that continued fossil fuel expansion undermines efforts to combat climate change.
