IISD Response to the United Kingdom Consultation on the Rosebank Field Development

The IISD response asserts that Equinor's application for the Rosebank field development ignores critical Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) guidance regarding downstream Scope 3 emissions. The document argues that the project is incompatible with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target, as no new oil and gas fields are needed or permissible in such scenarios. Furthermore, the IISD claims the project offers minimal economic benefit, potentially resulting in a net loss to the UK Treasury and providing negligible contributions to energy security.

• Equinor's assessment of Scope 3 emissions is inconsistent with DESNZ guidance in three areas: it fails to establish a proper global GHG baseline, relies on numeric assessments that do not meaningfully express significance, and ignores the cumulative effect of Rosebank alongside other global projects.
• Developing new oil and gas fields, including Rosebank, is incompatible with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C, as IEA and IPCC scenarios indicate no new fields should be approved after 2021.
• The Rosebank project is likely to result in stranded assets or push global temperatures beyond 1.5°C because existing fields are already sufficient to meet energy demand in 1.5°C-aligned scenarios.
• The project provides minimal employment benefits, supporting an average of only 255 direct and 137 supply chain jobs in the UK over its lifetime.
• The development may cause a net financial loss to the UK Treasury due to tax breaks; at an oil price of USD 70 per barrel, the Treasury could suffer a net loss of GBP 258 million, increasing to GBP 1.3 billion if prices fall to USD 40.
• Rosebank does not significantly enhance UK energy security because 90% of its reserves are oil intended for export, and its gas reserves would only reduce annual import dependency by an average of 1%.

APA

Jones, N., & Muttitt, G. (2025). IISD Response to the United Kingdom Consultation on the Rosebank Field Development. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-11/uk-consultation-rosebank-field-development.pdf

Chicago

Jones, Natalie, and Greg Muttitt. IISD Response to the United Kingdom Consultation on the Rosebank Field Development. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-11/uk-consultation-rosebank-field-development.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jones |first1=Natalie |last2=Muttitt |first2=Greg |title=IISD Response to the United Kingdom Consultation on the Rosebank Field Development |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-11/uk-consultation-rosebank-field-development.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jones2025iisd, author = {Jones, Natalie and Muttitt, Greg}, title = {{IISD Response to the United Kingdom Consultation on the Rosebank Field Development}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-11/uk-consultation-rosebank-field-development.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }