The developers of the Rosebank oil field have released the full environmental assessment for the project – showing how the UK’s largest undeveloped oil field can be advanced responsibly in line with climate goals while delivering billions of pounds of investment and thousands of UK jobs.
Rosebank, located around 80 miles north-west of Shetland, is being advanced by Equinor, Ithaca Energy and Suncor.
According to project estimates, Rosebank will generate £8.5billion in direct investment, with £6.6billion expected to go to UK-based businesses. It is forecast to support around 2,000 jobs during development and maintain an average of 525 full-time UK roles throughout its operational life. Wider economic impacts could boost the UK economy by up to £25billion.
Emissions already included in UK carbon targets
Equinor has published updated figures accounting for all lifecycle emissions from the project, including those from the eventual use of the oil and gas produced (scope 3).
Government modelling already includes the field’s forecast emissions within its long-term decarbonisation plans, meaning approving Rosebank will not increase the UK’s overall projected emissions.
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce has long been a vocal advocate that oil and gas from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) – which operates under some of the world’s most stringent environmental standards – is far preferable to relying on higher-emission imports from abroad.
Independent experts note that the UK will continue to need oil and gas for decades even as it decarbonises, particularly for industrial uses and as backup for intermittent renewable generation.
Critics raise familiar objections
Environmental groups including Greenpeace and Uplift continue to oppose Rosebank, describing it as incompatible with the UK’s climate goals. However, the government’s independent Climate Change Committee has acknowledged that managing the decline of North Sea production, rather than ending it abruptly, is essential to safeguard jobs, tax revenues and energy security during the transition.
A public consultation on Rosebank’s updated environmental statement is open until 20 November 2025, after which the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will decide whether to grant final consent.
For many across the UK’s energy sector, that decision represents not just one project, but a litmus test for confidence in the North Sea’s future – as a source of secure, lower-carbon energy and skilled employment in the decades ahead.
Commenting, AGCC chief executive Russell Borthwick said: “The UK has lacked a fully-functioning regulatory regime for oil and gas for some time now, with projects held in limbo.
“This, in conjunction with a broken fiscal regime, has shaken the industry to its core, deterred investment and seen jobs lost and workers and moving overseas to find opportunities.
“It’s vitally important that Rosebank gets the go ahead – without further delay – to signal that responsible extraction of resources from the North Sea, within the highest emissions reduction standards globally, is possible.
“While we still need oil and gas we should produce our own here in the UK – that shouldn’t be a matter of debate, it should be a reality of energy security, economic responsibility and effective government.”