'Green light, no doubt about it': EDF boss urges Burnham to approve Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea fields

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026.

Simone Rossi, chief executive of energy giant EDF, has called approving Britain's two stalled North Sea fields an absolute "no-brainer", directly challenging the Burnham government to act. Rosebank, Britain's largest untapped oil field, and Jackdaw, a major gas field, have sat idle after legal challenges on climate grounds. Rossi told the BBC that burning domestic fossil fuels is less polluting than importing from abroad and keeps jobs and tax receipts in the UK. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised only a "pragmatic approach" while the fields' futures remain undecided.

Rossi argued the UK should use every domestic fossil fuel resource it has while the transition to clean power is still incomplete.

The fields were once branded "climate vandalism" by former energy minister Ed Miliband, and green campaigners are demanding the drilling ban stays.

The government's own target is 95 per cent clean power by 2030, yet industry and unions warn blocking North Sea drilling threatens jobs and energy security.