More than 200 musicians have signed an open letter asking the UK government to reject the proposed Rosebank oil field in the North Sea, according to NME. The campaign is being led by Brian Eno and includes signatories such as Thom Yorke, members of Massive Attack and Robert Smith of The Cure.
The letter, shared publicly on Monday, was coordinated by campaign group Uplift and published by Earth/Percent, the climate charity co-founded by Eno. It urges Prime Minister Andy Burnham to “stop Rosebank” and warns that approval of the fossil-fuel project would be remembered as a damaging choice during the climate crisis.
Other artists who added their names include Paris Paloma, Bobby Gillespie, Ed O’Brien, Philip Selway, Jacob Collier, Anna Calvi, Romy Croft, Olly Alexander and Imogen Heap. The letter says the majority of the oil from Rosebank would be exported and would not meaningfully lower bills or improve UK energy security.
Rosebank is the UK’s largest undeveloped oil and gas field and has been the subject of years of debate. It was approved by the Conservative government in 2023, but a Scottish court ruled in early 2025 that the approval was unlawful because of the way its environmental impact was assessed, and a revised application is now under review.
A decision on the project is expected soon, while the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the North Sea remains important for jobs, growth and energy security as the UK moves toward clean power.
