TEN trade unions have written to the government, calling for action on the long-term interests of the public and to reject the Rosebank oil field.

Unison, the NEU, FBU, PCS, CWU, UCU, Equity, BFAWU, UVW and IWGB, and more than 1,900 additional trade unionists, published the open letter today, following a year of union climate action backed by the TUC.

The unions said that Rosebank is a “climate-wrecking project” set to produce CO2 equivalent to 70 per cent of Britain’s annual emissions, making it incompatible with the nation’s obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement.

The signatories also argue that approving Rosebank will stall Britain’s energy transition and leave Scotland’s oil and gas workers at risk.

Britain must focus on the long-term well-being of workers and invest in the clean energy industries of the future, creating secure, long-term jobs to support workers to transition, the unions said.

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said that with the Iran war, members are “more worried than ever” about their energy bills and transport costs.

“New oil fields won’t do anything to reduce the prices they pay in the coming months,” she said.

“They will delay action for real energy security and climate justice through a shift to renewables.

“At the same time, the likelihood that Rosebank will lead to significant losses for the UK Treasury, while corporations, including one linked to Israeli war crimes, pocket billions, should outrage us all.”

Ms Egan called on the government to “focus on how we get affordability now, get a safe and sustainable future, and get real just transition for workers,” starting with investment in public services that “pave the way to a low-carbon economy.”

FBU general secretary Steve Wright said there is “no option for a safe future other than a transition away from fossil fuels.”

He said: “We also know that companies extracting oil and gas from Rosebank would sell their product at the highest price on the global market to maximise profits.”

BFAWU general secretary Sarah Woolley said that the government “can choose to expand North Sea drilling by approving Rosebank and funnelling more money to oil company shareholders, or they can focus on solutions to tackle the climate crisis, create jobs and ensure our energy is affordable.”