Scottish First Minister John Swinney has underscored the critical importance of the climate change transition in the ongoing debate over further North Sea drilling. His comments come as the UK government, led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, reportedly considers measures to scale up domestic oil and gas production.
Mr Swinney was pressed on his views regarding the approval of new projects in Scottish waters, following reports from The Times suggesting that industry sources believe “Andy Burnham’s Government is ready to ‘move quickly’ to scale up oil and gas production.”
The discussion coincides with the first official visit of the newly appointed Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Miatta Fahnbulleh, to Aberdeen on Thursday. The city remains a cornerstone of the UK’s oil and gas industry.
Decisions are currently pending on the controversial Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. The Jackdaw gas field, operated by Adura (a joint venture between Shell and Equinor), had its initial approval in 2022 overturned in 2025 following legal challenges concerning scope 3 emissions – the emissions produced when the extracted gas is burned. Similarly, the Rosebank oil field, the UK’s largest undeveloped oil and gas field, saw its 2023 approval ruled unlawful by Scottish courts in January 2025 on similar grounds.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Swinney addressed the future of the North Sea. He stated: “We’ve obviously got an absolutely critical transition to be made to fulfil our obligations in climate change and it’s one of the considerations that has got to go into decisions made by the UK Government.”
He noted that both the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments have faced delays due to court challenges and can only proceed if deemed compatible with the journey towards net zero. When asked for his personal judgment on the projects, the First Minister responded: “I think the issues have got to be weighed up. The assessment has got to be undertaken.”
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Mr Swinney clarified that the climate compatibility assessment falls under the purview of the UK Government, adding: “I don’t know the answer to that question, because we’re not the decision makers on this.”
Earlier in July, Jack Middleton, MSP for Aberdeen South, reportedly broke ranks with his party to advocate for the approval of both the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil fields by the UK Government.
Following Secretary Fahnbulleh’s visit to Aberdeen, David Whitehouse, Chief Executive of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), confirmed “constructive” discussions. Mr Whitehouse highlighted the significance of her choosing Aberdeen for her inaugural visit, calling it an “important signal” that recognised the “central role this city and its workforce continue to play in delivering our energy future.”
