UK Labour accused of not understanding the climate emergency as Rosebank exploration grant would stay

Sir Keir Starmer reaffirmed his party would not overturn a potential Conservative decision to give Rosebank oilfield an exploration licence

UK Labour is being accused of not understanding the climate crisis, after Sir Keir Starmer said he would not reverse a potential Conservative decision to grant an exploration licence for Rosebank oilfield.

Rosebank, which lies to the west of Shetland, is one of the largest oilfields in the North Atlantic and is capable of producing up to 500 million barrels of oil.

Scientists have warned granting an exploration licence for Rosebank would make it challenging for the world to keep its pledge to limit global temperature increases to 1.5C.

UK Labour says it will honour any pre-approved exploration licences in the North Sea. Image: Andy Buchanan/Getty Images.

Previously Labour said it would ban all new oil and gas exploration licences for the the North Sea if it wins the next general election. But the party has since added licences already approved would be honoured to avoid a cliff-edge end to fossil fuels.

The Scottish Greens now say UK Labour does not understand the climate emergency, after Sir Keir reaffirmed this position when it comes to the Rosebank oilfield during an event on renewable energy in Leith on Monday.

Mark Ruskell MSP, the Greens’ climate spokesman, said: “Unless Labour is willing to state categorically that it will scrap Rosebank, then they will have lost all credibility on our climate. Sir Keir and Scottish leader Anas Sarwar are telling generations of young people their futures don’t matter.

“They talk about no cliff edge for oil and gas, but what about the planet, which is teetering on the brink of no return because of decisions just like this?”

Mr Ruskell said the UK already had more fossil fuels than it could afford to burn. He said Scotland needed independence so the Scottish Government could make decisions on future oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.

“Time and time again Labour have promised to do one thing, such as the green prosperity fund, only to U-turn,” he said. “Labour will never be the party of the environment as long as they help the Tories prop up oil and gas.

“This is political opportunism, when what the Scottish Greens are delivering is much needed environmental revolutionism.”