Hundreds protest in London against development of major oil field
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The Rosebank field received development and production approval from the UK's North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) on Wednesday.
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Demonstrators protest outside the UK Government building in Edinburgh, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. (AP)
Hundreds of climate activists are demonstrating in London's center against the government's decision to authorize the development of Rosebank, one of the country's largest unexploited oil and gas deposits, organizers said on Saturday.
The Rosebank field received development and production approval from the UK's North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) on Wednesday. The UK government hailed the decision, but environmental organizations and a number of MPs were outraged.
Read more: Ex-UK PM demands wealthiest oil states to pay climate tax
Those heading the protests of the StopRosebank campaign wrote on X that "Hundreds on the street in London [protesting] against approval [of the development] of the Rosebank oil field."
Climate activists also came together near the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero headquarters, urging the government to reverse its decision.
The movement expressed that the oil field would be fought "on the streets and in court."
According to the initiative, 18 additional demonstrations are planned.
As part of a goal to attain energy independence, the UK government announced in July that it will award over 100 new licenses for oil and gas production in the North Sea. Many environmental organizations have criticized this.
Climate protesters take on streets of New York before UNGA summit
On September 18. just before the opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), tens of thousands of climate activists walked the streets of New York to urge for increased action against climate change, as they held signs reading "Biden, end fossil fuels," "Fossil fuels are killing us" and "I didn't vote for fires and floods".
"We are here to demand that the administration declare a climate emergency," said Analilia Mejia, director of the activist group Center for Popular Democracy, to AFP adding: "We must wake up and take immediate action".
Released this month, a UN climate report designated 2025 as the deadline for global greenhouse gas emissions to reach the peak and to be followed by a plunge afterward - to remain in conformity with the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Even though the Agreement helped surge climate action, the report states "much more is needed now on all fronts" to underpin an upcoming significant climate summit in Dubai at the end of this year.
According to top world scientists, the world will witness a new record of heat in the next five years, and global temperatures are more likely than not to surpass the critical threshold of an average 1.5-degree Celcius rise.
