EDF Energy chief backs Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas projects

EDF Energy chief executive Simone Rossi has urged UK ministers to approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas projects in the North Sea, the Guardian reported on 30 September 2026. He says producing fuel domestically while the country reduces its use of fossil fuels is compatible with net-zero goals. The government has yet to make the decisions he wants, leaving two proposed developments at the centre of a dispute over energy supply and climate policy.

Why Simone Rossi wants North Sea projects approved

Rossi called new UK oil and gas projects a ‘no-brainer’ and said they posed ‘no contradiction’ to the net-zero agenda. The Guardian attributed his comments to an interview with the BBC. His argument starts from the expectation that the UK will continue to use fossil fuels during a transition that he says will take decades. In that period, he argues, the country should draw on its own resources instead of importing fuel from farther away.

He also argued that UK-produced fossil fuels have lower emissions than imports because they do not have to travel as far. That is Rossi’s comparison; the sources available for this report do not independently establish an overall emissions advantage. His case for production rests alongside, rather than in place of, a call to cut the amount of fossil fuel people use. ‘In the UK the only way we can reduce emissions is to genuinely reduce the usage of fossil fuels at the point of use,’ he said. ‘Over time, the only solution is electricity.’

Rossi said new developments could create jobs and increase tax receipts that could be used to support households struggling with energy bills. Those are potential benefits he cited, not outcomes established for either project. The Guardian also reported that he wants faster support for heat pumps and electric vehicles, technologies that could reduce fossil fuel use where energy is consumed. His proposal therefore combines continued domestic production with measures intended to reduce demand.

What is the status of Rosebank and Jackdaw?

The official Rosebank development record gives a more specific account of one application: it names Adura Operations Limited as developer and lists the project as ‘Under Review’. The record says the Secretary of State requested further information on 27 March 2026 and received the developer’s response on 19 June. It also lists a further-information public notice that began on 16 July and closed on 17 August. The page was last updated on 16 July, so it does not establish whether Rosebank’s position changed after that update.

The Rosebank record also contains entries for decisions in June 2023. Those entries form part of the project’s history; they do not establish that the pending decision Rossi discussed has been made. The available official record concerns Rosebank specifically. It does not confirm Jackdaw’s current administrative status, so the two projects should not be described as being at an identical stage of review.

How climate policy shapes the decision

According to the Guardian, the developers resubmitted their proposals after a court required additional consideration of the climate impact of burning the oil and gas the projects would produce. That issue is distinct from Rossi’s argument about emissions associated with transporting imported fuel. Assessing a project’s climate effects requires consideration of what happens when its products are used, as well as claims about how they reach consumers. The official Rosebank page lists further information that includes an assessment of ‘scope 3 emissions’.

The Guardian described a distinction in Labour’s election manifesto: it ruled out granting new exploration licences while allowing certain new production from already licensed areas or fields near existing projects. The newspaper reported that Rosebank and Jackdaw already hold licences and could receive final approval without breaching that pledge. Whether ministers grant that approval remains unresolved. A licence and the outstanding consent decision are separate steps in the account of these projects.

Rossi is not the only energy-sector figure arguing for more North Sea production. The Guardian named Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson, former GB Energy chief Jürgen Maier and RenewableUK chief Tara Singh among those who have made that case. It described EDF Energy as having about 8 gigawatts of UK low-carbon generation capacity, including 6 gigawatts from eight nuclear plants and 2 gigawatts from wind, solar and battery storage. Rossi’s position comes from the head of a company already involved in generating lower-carbon electricity.

There is also opposition to final consent. The Guardian reported that environmental groups and Green Party leader Zack Polanski had urged ministers to refuse approval for Rosebank and Jackdaw. The decision will test competing arguments over continued oil and gas production during the shift away from fossil fuels. For now, Rossi’s projected economic benefits and comparative emissions claim remain arguments for approval, while Rosebank’s official record still identifies its application as under review.