Climate campaigners drop massive banner on Westminster Bridge as MPs return to parliament

They're fighting to stop the Rosebank Oil Field

Climate campaigners dropping a banner reading "Stop Rosebank Oil Field" on Westminster Bridge

Climate campaigners have welcomed MPs back to Westminster by dropping a giant banner on Westminster Bridge in protest over plans to develop the Rosebank Oil Field. MPs are returning to the House of Commons today after the summer recess.

Rosebank is the largest undeveloped oil field in the North Sea. Norwegian oil giant Equinor is seeking approval to exploit the field, but no final decision has been taken on whether this can go ahead.

Campaigners claim that Rosebank would receive £3.75 billion in tax breaks from the public purse, and that burning the oil from Rosebank would produce the same emissions as the worlds’ 28 lowest income countries combined.  

According to climate campaigners, the action is part of a wider campaign against the oil industry, with more actions expected at the ‘Oil & Money’ summit taking place in October.

Joanna Warrington, a spokeswoman for Fossil Free London – the group behind the stunt – said: “Rishi Sunak wants to give billions of pounds of public money to a giant oil company in exchange for the climate time bomb, which will do absolutely nothing to lower our energy bills. It’s reckless and absurd. 

People want clean, cheap renewable energy, but the government is on autopilot, handing money to their oily chums. Yet again, they are prioritising fossil fuel industry profits over a future safe from climate breakdown. We need to stop Rosebank and drive oily money out of our politics.”

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward

Image credit: Fossil Free London

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