August 27, 2026

expert reaction to an open letter to the energy & net zero secretary urging strict conditions if Rosebank / Jackdaw licences are granted

Scientists comment on an open letter to the DESNZ Secretary of State urging strict conditions if Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas field licences are granted.

Dr Michelle Cain, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Data Analytics at Cranfield University, said:

“This group of experts identify a straightforward requirement for bringing fossil fuel burning into line with global climate objectives, and indeed the UK government’s own legally binding targets. To reconcile future fossil fuel usage with stopping further global warming, any fossil fuel burning will have to be accompanied by capture or removal from the atmosphere, and permanent storage of that carbon dioxide. This would be ’net-zero’ as any added carbon dioxide would be cancelled out by permanently removing the same amount from the atmosphere. Requiring any new licensees to do this is an elegant solution to the problem.”

Prof Jon Gluyas, Emeritus Chair in Geoenergy Carbon Capture & Storage, Durham University, said:

“If the UK government goes ahead and sanctions development of the Jackdaw and/or Rosebank petroleum fields, it also has a rare opportunity to strengthen its commitment to deliver net zero carbon emissions.  The opportunity, which is counterintuitive, is that either project could be hardwired to deliver net carbon neutrality or better – in other words it would be carbon-negative as part of the licensing process.

“Carbon negative hardwiring of these projects would provide a template for any future energy projects which include fossil fuel elements.  Collectively, energy security, energy sustainability and energy equity could all be improved by taking this proactive approach to petroleum resource development in the UK and beyond.”

Prof Sam Fankhauser, Professor of Climate Economics and Policy at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, said:

“Climate change will get worse unless the residual carbon we continue to emit is captured and put back underground.  Requiring the developers of new oil and gas fields to take on this responsibility is fair, effective and can build on existing local skills.”

Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of the Centre for Climate Repair and Director of Research for Cambridge Zero, University of Cambridge, said:

“This suggestion is important, and the principle at stake is in line with other laws which we already have. For example, you cannot dump untreated sewage from your home or business onto land or into rivers, lakes, or the sea. If you create the waste, you need to deal with it properly.

“Perhaps of even greater relevance is the principle that if an industry has a value-generating process but it generates waste then there are often rules as to how the companies involved in a process deal with it. For example, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive is a European Union law designed to reduce electronic waste and promote recycling. Makers and sellers of electrical goods must pay for collecting, treating, and recycling their products. The oil industry should be subject to similar ideals.”

Declared interests

Michelle Cain: “I do not have any interests to declare.”

Jon Gluyas: “I am a signatory of the letter.  I have provided support to the DESNZ CCS track 1 and track 2 projects since 2020.”

Shaun Fitzgerald: “I am a signatory of the letter.”

Sam Fankhouser: “I am a signatory of the letter.”

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

This Roundup was accompanied by an SMC Briefing.