Oil & Gas Authority Net Zero Strategy slammed as “cynical PR exercise”

Environmental campaigners have slammed the Oil and Gas Authority’s proposed ‘net zero strategy’ as a cynical PR exercise. Changes proposed to their existing MER Strategy amount to new references to the UK’s net zero by 2050 climate targets but signal that the UK Government has no intention of repealing the legislative commitment to “Maximising Economic Recovery”, continuing with efforts to extract every possible drop of oil from the UK’s continental shelf

Friends of the Earth Scotland Just Transition Campaigner Ryan Morrison commented,

“The changes proposed for this new strategy are a farce, claiming to be serious about tackling the climate emergency by including a couple of mentions of net zero targets while simultaneously planning to squeeze every possible drop of oil and gas from the North Sea.

“If the UK Government were really serious about tackling climate change, they would be planning to wind down oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. But of course they’re not. This is nothing other than PR spin from the OGA in an attempt to reconcile reckless extraction with growing public demand for meaningful climate action, at a time when the industry has laid off thousands of workers with no support. “

“Instead of throwing public money into fanciful technologies like carbon capture and fossil hydrogen that only serve to prolong the life of this climate wrecking industry, both the Scottish and UK Governments must invest in a Just Transition, building a 100% renewable energy system and creating secure and sustainable jobs for thousands of workers.”

The UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC) – the independent adviser to the UK Government and Scottish Governments – yesterday warned about investing recovery funds in industries that locked in fossil fuel use and increased risk of further disruption from climate breakdown.
ENDS