PRESS RELEASE: Families from across UK meet with MPs to discuss Rosebank concerns as government decision approaches

London, Wednesday 25 February 2026 – Parents, children and grandparents from across the UK are gathering in Parliament today for a meeting with MPs to directly raise their concerns about the climate crisis. The controversial Rosebank oil field will be a particular focus as the Government prepares to make a final decision on whether the project will go ahead.

More than 30 families will attend the parliamentary breakfast drop-in in the Thames Pavilion at the Palace of Westminster, organised by climate group Parents For Future UK and sponsored by Dr Simon Opher MP. Travelling from Sheffield, Stroud, Hove, Derby and beyond, three generations of campaigners will meet MPs to raise their concerns about the escalating climate crisis, the impacts they are seeing in their communities, and call for Rosebank to be rejected.

With children sitting alongside parents and grandparents, families will deliver a united message: the UK must draw a line under new oil and gas extraction, starting with Rosebank. 

Rosebank was previously ruled unlawful by the Scottish Court of Session after the climate impact of burning its oil and gas was not fully considered. Its developers have since resubmitted plans, triggering a fresh decision-making process now back in Government hands, and a decision expected any day.

Analysis cited by campaigners suggested that burning Rosebank’s oil and gas would cause the UK to exceed its climate targets and would generate more CO₂ than the 28 poorest countries produce in a year. Parents For Future UK argues that the UK now has a unique opportunity to reject fossil fuels and build on the UK’s recent commitment to clean community owned energy.

The Stop Rosebank campaign has built significant political momentum in recent months, with dozens of MPs and MSPs signing a pledge opposing the field. Parents for Future UK argue that approving Rosebank would undermine the UK’s credibility on climate action and derail global ambition further at a time of escalating global impacts.

From media personalities to athletes, high profile parents are increasingly voicing their concerns. TV presenter, four time Winter Olympian and mother, Chemmy Alcott, shared her support, saying: “I have a front-row seat to the environmental changes driven by climate change, and naturally it makes me worried about the environment my sons will inherit. The impacts are undeniable. It’s time for all of us to do everything we can to ensure we pass on a healthier, more hopeful world to our children.”

Hot off the heels of the BAFTAS, White Lotus actress  Aimee Lou Wood, added her support for stopping Rosebank: “Doing everything we can to urge our leaders to focus on halting the climate crisis is beyond urgent. We know we can’t drill any new oil and gas, and yet it’s still being debated.”

Charlotte Howell, Co-Director of Parents For Future UK, said: “Fifty days straight of relentless rain, and over 100 flood warnings in January alone, speaks volumes. UK Families are already living with the consequences of the climate crisis. And we know approving new oil and gas projects will not only make this worse, it’s now fundamentally incompatible with keeping our children safe.

“Today, children sat alongside their parents and grandparents in Parliament to make it clear that giving Rosebank the green light will harm every generation. It won’t bring down our bills or improve our energy security, because most of Rosebank’s oil is for export. So as the Government prepares to decide Rosebank’s fate, we asked MPs to stand on the side of families across the UK and the world, and frankly, on the side of common sense.”

Dr Simon Opher MP said: “The decision to end all new oil and gas licenses is one the UK can be proud of but the imminent decision on the future of Rosebank is the next true climate test for this government – one that parents and families from my constituency and across the UK are rightly watching closely. This is a test we cannot afford to fail.”

Professor Hugh Montgomery, University College London, added: “Greenhouse gases now trap the energy equivalent of 12 Hiroshima bombs’ worth of energy every second. Exploiting known fossil fuel reserves would take us to +8–10°C, and the Arctic to +17°C. Approving any new extraction is suicide and further exploration, madness. The threat is now immediate and grave to us all – no longer just to ‘our grandchildren.’”

With a Government decision expected in the coming weeks, today’s gathering is a reminder that the choice on Rosebank will shape the safety and security of current and future generations.

For more information, visit parentsforfuture.org.uk

ENDS

For media enquiries, contact:
Charlotte Howell, Co-Director
charlotte@parentsforfuture.org.uk

About Parents For Future UK 

 Parents For Future UK has a network of over 35,000 supporters. It acts through building a resilient community, inclusive campaigning, and creative communications.  

Formed in 2019 by a small group of mums, Parents For Future’s aim is to inspire and engage more adults to find ways to respond to the climate crisis. Today, it is the biggest parent climate group in the UK – and growing fast. The group values diverse ideas and voices and has built a supportive, inclusive, thriving community online and offline, with over 35 local groups across the UK.

parentsforfuture.org.uk 

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Parents for Future UK on New Oil and Gas Extraction and Rosebank, in the last 12 months

• Over 500 parents and carers contributed to our response to the Government’s public  consultation on Rosebank
• Submitted a response to the Government’s consultation on the Future of the North Sea
• Handed in a letter to Downing Street signed by over 60,000 worried parents across the Country asking the PM to Stop Rosebank, including Bonnie Wright, Julia Bradbury, George Monbiot, Paloma Faith, Caroline Lucus,  Misan Harriman and many others
• Contributed to a Rosebank petition and hand in from over 100,000 people across the UK.