Climate Change Committee questions UK offshore exploration

Offshore staff

LONDON – Trade association Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) has responded to the Climate Change Committee’s declaration concerning the UK Government’s consultation on future offshore licensing.

The committee has called for a presumption against exploration of oil and gas and urged the industry to step up its emissions commitments. It did not say if its call on exploration would have an impact on the UK’s emissions, OEUK pointed out.

At the same time, the committee acknowledged that emissions from UK production are lower than in many other countries and that Britain could still achieve its carbon budgets and develop new fields if efforts to cut emissions from production were accelerated.

Further, the committee noted that energy security considerations were outside of its scope, and recognized that the UK would continue to be a net importer of fossil fuels for the foreseeable future, thus implying that there may be emissions advantages to UK production replacing imports.

Mike Tholen, sustainability director at OEUK, said: “The Committee on Climate Change recognizes that there is a continued role for domestic production if we can accelerate our climate ambitions and we hear that challenge today. We are demonstrating by our actions that we are capable of delivering our climate commitments and will continue to do so while providing energy security for the UK.”

Tholen added: “The North Sea Transition Deal agreed with the UK Government will deliver a managed transition, support cleaner energies and deliver net zero in a way that also guarantees reliable energy supplies. With the right support and a managed plan, we have an opportunity to support jobs and skills here in the UK which can be exported globally.”

2/25/2022