One million people demand transition away from oil & gas

More than one million people are calling on the UK government to end new UK oil and gas drilling and deliver a fair transition to renewable energy, ahead of a crunch energy summit in London attended by officials from the pro-fossil fuels Trump administration.

The million-strong petition will be handed into 10 Downing Street at lunchtime on Wednesday (April 23), the day before the UK Government and the International Energy Agency (IEA) co-host the “Summit on the Future of Energy Security”, attended by energy ministers and officials from around the world.

Petitioners are calling for an end to new North Sea drilling, including new projects such as the controversial Rosebank oilfield, as well as a proper plan for transitioning the UK’s oil and gas workforce, which has seen the number of jobs supported by the oil and gas industry more than halve in the past decade as the North Sea declines.

Individuals signatories are joined by a diverse range of organisations spanning the climate movement, including Avaaz, Greenpeace, Global Justice Now, 350.org, Change.org and Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Stop Rosebank spokesperson Lauren MacDonald said:
“With more than one million signing this petition, it’s clear that people are sick of sky high energy bills and anxious about the changes we’re seeing to our climate and weather, both of which are as a result of our dependency on volatile oil and gas.

“The UK government needs to stand up to the oil and gas lobby and act in the best interests of people in the UK who are struggling with bills. With the North Sea now in terminal decline, the public knows the only way to secure reliable, affordable energy is through tapping into our renewable resources, like wind, which we’re lucky to have in abundance.

“Extreme weather is accelerating here and across the globe. The impact of the storms and wildfires that parts of the UK have already suffered this year, which are driven by climate change caused by burning fossil fuels, is significant and will get worse without action.”

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to outline the UK’s approach to securing reliable and affordable energy on day one of the summit (Thursday, April 24), where he is anticipated to prioritise renewable energy over more oil and gas drilling.

Campaigners are urging the UK government to make sure that the transition away from oil and gas production, which is happening regardless of any government intervention as the North Sea declines, benefits energy workers in the UK.

Friends of the Earth Scotland spokesperson Caroline Rance said:
“Oil and gas workers must be at the heart of building a new energy system powered by renewable energy and run in the public interest.

“The UK government should listen to the people and deliver a transition plan that includes job-creating investments in publicly owned wind manufacturing, funding for upgrading our ports, and dedicated training support for offshore oil and gas workers.”

After sixty years of drilling the UK has burned most of its gas and between now and 2050, official projections show that future licensing rounds would deliver an average of just three weeks’ worth of gas a year.

The Government is currently consulting on how to build the North Sea’s clean energy future and has paused approving new drilling while it examines the rules for assessing new UK oil and gas projects to make sure that their true climate impact is taken into account.

The IEA has been clear that there can be no new oil and gas developments if the world is going to have a chance at staying within safe climate limits. This echoes warnings from climate scientists that new oil and gas production is incompatible with limiting global heating to 1.5°C. There is now significant scientific evidence that the emissions from burning the reserves in existing oil and gas fields globally would push us past this limit.

The IEA’s latest energy review also shows declining oil demand with oil falling below 30 percent of the global energy mix in 2024 driven by rising sales of electric vehicles around the world.