The open letter warns of the project’s environmental and cultural impact.
Photo credit: EarthPercent – Official
More than 100 UK artists, including Brian Eno, BICEP, and HAAi, have signed an open letter calling for the government to halt the Rosebank oil field project. The initiative, led by Eno’s climate foundation EarthPercent, urges officials to assess the full environmental damage of new fossil fuel developments.
DJs and producers such as Moxie, Confidence Man, Dan Shake, Jon Hopkins, Daniel Avery, Midland, SHERELLE, Leon Vynehall, Shanti Celeste, and The Blessed Madonna also added their names. “As musicians and artists, we know that our creativity is rooted in the world around us. But that world is under threat,” the letter states. “Festivals are being cancelled due to extreme weather, and grassroots venues are grappling with rising energy costs.”
The signatories argue that expanding oil and gas production risks both the climate and the cultural infrastructure that supports music. They highlight how environmental degradation could impact creative spaces, natural landscapes, and the livelihoods of artists and their communities.
Rosebank, operated by Equinor, is projected to produce around 7% of the UK’s oil supply through 2030. The artists warn that exploiting its 500 million barrels of reserves could “accelerate the climate crisis” and become a “megapolluter.” Equinor is expected to reapply for development approval, but the letter insists such plans are “incompatible with safe climate limits.”
Read the full open letter here.
