Tyndall scientists urge Burnham to reject Rosebank, Jackdaw
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- Prof Kevin Anderson and scientists from the Tyndall Centre at the University of Manchester wrote an open letter to PM Andy Burnham urging him to "unequivocally" reject new North Sea oil drilling.
- The same academics undertook the carbon budget analysis underpinning Burnham's Greater Manchester carbon neutral by 2038 policy, which he championed in 2024 as putting the region "front and centre of the green industrial revolution."
- Reports suggest Burnham's government is set to approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw oilfields, previously approved under the Conservatives but put on hold by a court ruling that required a more detailed assessment of the climate impact of burning extracted fossil fuels.
- Labour's manifesto promised no new oil and gas licences would be issued, though Jackdaw and Rosebank were already in the licensing system at the last general election; a consultation on Jackdaw closes on 8 August.
- The scientists cited evidence that global temperatures have already reached 1.5°C and that emissions must fall by nearly 8% annually to honour even the weaker 2°C interpretation of the Paris Agreement.
Why it matters: The scientists who built Burnham's own Greater Manchester climate roadmap are publicly calling out a contradiction in his early premiership: approving Jackdaw and Rosebank would force Labour to break its manifesto pledge against new licences and undermine the UK's Paris commitments, with the Jackdaw consultation closing 8 August.
