Paloma Faith, Lola Young and The Cure urge Starmer to block Rosebank development

Artists including Paloma Faith, Lola Young and The Cure’s Robert Smith have urged the Prime Minister to reject future drilling at Rosebank in the North Sea.

In a letter addressed to Sir Keir Starmer and energy secretary Ed Miliband, the musicians argued that further development of the oil field north west of Shetland would undermine the UK’s climate commitments and the sustainability of the cultural sector.

The letter urges the Government to follow the science and states, “any new application to exploit Rosebank’s reserves must be refused”.

The Government said it was committed to a fair transition in line with its climate and legal obligations, while also aiming to lower bills.

Ministers published new guidance last month on how the environmental impacts of oil and gas are included in assessments.

As a result, offshore developers can submit applications for consent to extract fossil fuels in oil and gas fields that are already licensed, which includes Rosebank and the Jackdaw gas field off Aberdeen.

This came after the Supreme Court ruled that emissions created by burning fossil fuels should be considered when granting planning permission for new drilling sites, in a case that focused on an oil well in Surrey but reverberated through the energy sector.

A challenge brought by environmental campaigners in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, over approval for Rosebank and Jackdaw, was upheld at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in January.

Greenpeace and Uplift argued the UK Government and North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) had acted unlawfully when granting consent to the projects, as environmental impact assessments did not take into account downstream emissions resulting from the burning of the extracted fuels.

The open letter, co-ordinated by Earth Percent and backed by the Stop Rosebank campaign, is also signed by artists including Ed O’Brien and Philip Selway of Radiohead, rock band Enter Shikari, Imogen Heap, and Olly Alexander of Years & Years.

The signatories claim the expansion of operations at Rosebank will accelerate the climate crisis, deliver no meaningful benefit to the UK public, and burden future generations.

Producer Brian Eno, who co-founded Earth Percent, said: “As musicians and artists our creativity is deeply connected to the state of the world around us. Being an advocate for greater climate action for many years, I feel deeply that the continued expansion of oil and gas, such as Rosebank, is a huge threat to that world.

“Fossil fuels are not only unsustainable – they are actively destructive. The evidence is clear: burning them accelerates the climate crisis, endangers our futures, and undermines the UK’s credibility as a climate leader. We have the tools and the knowledge to make the transition.

“The Prime Minister must listen – reject Rosebank, and stop approving new oil and gas developments.”

Cathy Runciman, co-executive director at Earth Percent, said: “The creative community is clear: the Prime Minister must reject Rosebank and commit to a clean, fair transition that protects people and planet alike.”

Lauren MacDonald, lead campaigner at Stop Rosebank, said: “Opposition to Rosebank is not just found among climate activists, a broad church of opponents has developed since the field’s approval in 2023.

“These artists aren’t just speaking as individuals, they represent a creative community that understands what’s at stake if the Government keeps backing oil giants over climate science and public interest.

“The UK cannot claim to be a climate leader while approving massive new oil fields like Rosebank.

“It won’t bring down bills, it won’t boost UK energy security, and it won’t create the sustainable future people across this country are calling for. Rosebank must be rejected, and this is the moment for the Prime Minister to show he’s listening.”

A department for Energy Security & Net Zero spokesperson said: “Our priority is to deliver a fair, orderly and prosperous transition in the North Sea in line with our climate and legal obligations, which drives our clean energy future of energy security, lower bills, and good, long-term jobs.”