MSPs urged to reject Rosebank
MSPs have been urged to put people and planet ahead of corporate profits by backing a Green opposition motion to oppose the proposed Rosebank development.
At nearly 500 million barrels, Rosebank is the biggest undeveloped oil and gas field in the North Sea. In January the Court of Session ruled that consent for the controversial proposals had been unlawful.
Fossil fuel giant Equinor has submitted a new application, in which they’ve had to admit that the proposal would produce 250 million new tonnes of carbon emissions, 50 times as much as previously admitted.
The plans were opposed by Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf when they were First Ministers, but since John Swinney took office the SNP position has softened and they have retreated from this.
The Scottish Greens climate spokesperson, Patrick Harvie, said:
“If Rosebank is given the go-ahead it will be catastrophic for our climate. There is no environmentally-friendly way to drill for new oil, and our governments have to be honest about that.
“Every MSP needs to ask themselves if they can justify pumping an extra 250 million tonnes of carbon emissions into the world in the middle of a climate crisis. If they can’t then they should take a stand and back our motion.
“Rosebank would do nothing to lower the eye watering bills that households and families are having to fork out for. The best way we can do that is by finally breaking the link with volatile fossil fuel prices and making the investment that is needed in clean, green and renewable energy.
“The First Minister has called for COP to deliver swift and decisive climate action, but his party has refused to condemn new oil and gas exploration while backing a huge tax break for some of the world’s biggest polluters.
“It’s time for our Parliament to put people and planet ahead of corporate profits and stand against this climate-wrecking plan.”