This moment is an opportunity for the Government to seize the initiative, stand up to Fossil Fuel lobbyists and choose to safeguard our climate and our future.

With the Jackdaw gas field just having been approved and a decision on Rosebank imminent the critical need to address the question of approving drilling for new Gas and Oil in the North Sea has only increased.

On the 13th of August, after months of extreme heat and weeks of choking smog from climate change-driven wildfires Andy Burnham's announcement that he would consider approving the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas and oil fields was devastating. The country was in drought, in some places literally burning up. Drilling for more Fossil Fuels to accelerate this crisis was not the change the country and planet needed under this new Prime Minister. Under those circumstances I started a petition on the UK parliament website, here is the original text:

'We ask the Government to abide by the 2024 Labour manifesto and commit to no new drilling licenses for North Sea oil or gas. This summer has been another warning of extreme weather ahead. We believe the science is clear; to ensure climate security any remaining reserves must stay in the ground.

Extreme, record-breaking heat. Drought. Smoke blanketing cities. To mitigate the environmental and public health impacts of the climate crisis that we are already suffering, fossil fuels need to be kept in the ground.

We are concerned that one of the first policies which the Prime Minister may announce could be for plans for more drilling in the North Sea. We think this is caving to the fossil fuel lobby, the very industry to blame for our current crisis. We believe this would be climate vandalism and must not happen.'

With Jackdaw now approved this petition is more important than ever. As the government itself says, Rosebank is 'a different proposition'. 

I have created this change.org petition in order to reach more people to take action on what is such an important issue. As well as signing and sharing this change.org petition I would encourage signatories to also consider signing the petition on the UK parliament website linked to below. As it says, if that petition gets 10,000 signatures, the government will respond to it and likewise, if it gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament. 

Here is the link to the parliament petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/777499

The government needs to see strength of feeling around this issue and the determination to meet our net zero commitments and avert further climate-driven chaos. If these petitions are signed and shared widely that is what can happen.