Dismay as Rishi Sunak vows to ‘max out’ UK fossil fuel reserves

Prime minister unveils plan to authorise more than 100 new North Sea licences on visit to Scotland

Rishi Sunak has pledged to max out" the UK's oil and gas reserves as he revealed a new round of intensive North Sea drilling, which experts said could be catastrophic for the climate.

Unveiling a plan to authorise more than 100 new North Sea licences on a visit to north-east Scotland, the prime minister also indicated he would approve drilling at the UK's largest untapped reserves in the Rosebank field, which hold 500m barrels of oil.