SCOTTISH celebrities including Frankie Boyle and Shirley Manson are getting behind a legal case against the Rosebank oil field.
The field, set to be developed 80 miles off the coast of the Shetland Islands, was approved by the previous UK government in 2023.
A legal case against Rosebank is set to be heard from November 12 after the new Government recently conceded this was unlawful.
If the campaign groups are successful against the field’s owners Equinor and Ithaca Energy, the decision to re-approve Rosebank may end up back on the Government’s desk.
The UK Government said in August it would not challenge judicial reviews brought against the development.
Campaigners say Rosebank would emit more CO2 than the world’s 28 lowest-income countries combined do in a year.
In advance of the case, celebrities including comedian Joe Lycett, actress Bonnie Wright and Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds alongside Boyle and Manson have joined forces with leading climate activists, professors and conservationists to campaign against the field.
Boyle is set to host a panel discussion entitled Big Oil in Court: Rosebank And The Fight For The North Sea on the eve of the hearing on November 11 at Edinburgh’s Playfair Library.
The full list of celebrities standing against Rosebank are:
- Frankie Boyle, Comedian
- Joe Lycett, Comedian
- Naomi Klein, Canadian author and activist
- Christiana Figueres, prev. Exec Secretary, UNFCCC & Founder, Global Optimism
- Chris Packham, Wildlife TV presenter and conservationist
- Shirley Manson, Scottish lead singer of Garbage
- Bonnie Wright, Actress, author and filmmaker
- Rou Reynolds, Lead singer of Enter Shikari and producer
- Bill McKibben, US environmentalist
- Venetia La Manna, Fast fashion campaigner
- Farhana Yamin, Climate lawyer
- Caroline Lucas, previous leader of The Green Party
- Imogen Grant, Olympic gold medal rower
- Professor Gail Whiteman, Prof. of Sustainability, University of Exeter
- Vanessa Nakate, Climate activist
- Luke Jerram, British artist
- Kate Raworth, Economist and author
- George Monbiot, Journalist
- Luisa Neubauer, Climate justice activist
- Dr. Charlie Gardner, Researcher and conservationist
- Brett Staniland, Model and LoveIslander
- Livia Firth, Sustainability expert
- Caitríona Balfe, Irish actress
- Claudia O’Doherty, Australian actress and writer
- Jack Harries, Filmmaker and producer
- Laëtitia Eïdo, French actress
- Tony Burdon, CEO at Make My Money Matter
Boyle said: “Soon the earth will be so utterly destroyed that the only thing left will be Simon Cowell’s face, drifting through space like a chip wrapper.
“Rosebank was approved by the Tories, who for some reason thought that drilling for more oil and gas was the answer.
“Campaigners have since been driven to the courts in order to stop the field from going ahead. I look forward to hosting a discussion on this ahead of the court hearing later this month.”
If you would like to attend the panel discussion with Boyle in Edinburgh, sign up here.
