Burnham faces North Sea oil test as rising costs force UK to rethink net-zero strategy

Prime Minister Andy Burnham must soon decide whether to allow the Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea oil and gas projects to proceed, after courts sent them back through environmental review over improperly assessed climate impacts. Burnham has described his approach as 'pragmatic,' and President Trump claimed Burnham told him he would 'open up' North Sea oil after a phone call.

The decision lands amid record heat, wildfires and drought across the U.K., with emergency alerts warning against barbecues and fireworks due to fire risk. Academics from UCL and Oxford argue that expanding a declining North Sea industry — already 93% depleted and past peak production since 1999 — would do little to cut consumer bills, since global markets, not domestic output, set prices.

An Oxford analysis found a fully renewable system could save households up to $601 annually, versus $21 to $111 from maximized oil and gas extraction with revenue redistributed. The government is separately reviewing electric vehicle sales targets, with experts warning that slowing the transition cedes ground to China and the EU.

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