Burnham urged to listen to his own climate scientists and manifesto
The Scottish Greens have backed calls from climate scientists demanding that Prime Minister Andy Burnham reject the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas developments and honour the climate commitments he was elected on as Mayor of Greater Manchester and in the Labour 2024 manifesto.
Leading scientists who helped develop Greater Manchester’s commitment to become carbon neutral by 2038, have expressed serious concern over reports that the Labour government could approve the two developments.
This comes as Rosebank has also recently been reported to be delayed due to an incident which occurred on 18 April, where two pieces of drilling equipment, including a safety valve, were dropped over 1 kilometre onto the seabed.
Scottish Greens energy spokesperson, Kristopher Leask MSP said:
“The very same climate scientists who developed Manchester’s ambitious local climate commitments that got Andy Burnham elected as Mayor were worth listening to when he was seeking office, so their warnings and concerns deserve to be taken just as seriously now.
“Science has not changed since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister. He should listen to the experts who helped shape his own climate commitments, reject Rosebank and Jackdaw, and invest in an energy transition that puts workers, communities and the climate ahead of fossil fuel profits.
“We have witnessed wildfires tear through the Cairngorms where many of my constituents have been evacuated from their homes. Meanwhile the comparisons of the tragic fires across Spain and France are hard to ignore. Burnham must stop sticking his head in the sand.
“Approving Rosebank and Jackdaw would be a complete retreat from the promise he and his party have made.”
Kristopher added:
“This warning comes alongside reports that equipment, including a safety valve, was dropped more than a kilometre onto the seabed, potentially delaying the project for months whilst raising serious questions about operational competence and environmental risk.
“It is a grim irony that a literal drop in the ocean may have done more to delay Rosebank than Labour’s broken climate promises.
“Labour promised they would not issue new licences to explore new fields when they were elected in 2024, because in their own words, it will not take a penny off bills, cannot make us energy secure, and will only accelerate the worsening climate crisis.”