UK Energy System is ‘Fundamentally Broken’
Environmental campaigners have said that today’s rise in energy bills for UK households whilst oil companies announced billions in profits show that the UK’s oil and gas energy system is broken.
The UK Government has allowed the energy system to be run in the interests of oil and gas giants and, with millions of people in fuel poverty, it is continually failing to meet the basic needs to have a warm home.
Ofgem announced a 54% increase in the energy price cap, due to rising global gas prices. Meanwhile oil giant Shell announced $19.3 billion (£14.5b) in profits for 2021 – including $6.4billion (£4.7b) in the last 3 months alone. Earlier this week, Exxon said that they had made $23 (£16.9b) billion in profit in 2021.
Climate science has demonstrated that there should be no new oil and gas developments anywhere in the world if we are to stay within the agreed limit of 1.5C of dangerous temperature rises. Governments reaffirmed their commitment to this goal at the UN climate conference in Glasgow.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Just Transition Campaigner Ryan Morrison said:
“People will be enraged to watch companies like Shell and Exxon celebrating billions in profit as the energy price rise is expected to push millions more homes into fuel poverty and forcing people to choose between heating and eating.”
“The UK’s energy system is fundamentally broken. Today is clear evidence that it doesn’t work for people or the planet. Oil company bosses are being allowed to profit from climate breakdown and the gas price crisis on the back of widespread misery for people around the world.”
“Instead of allowing these companies to cause social and environmental devastation for their own pocket, we need to overhaul our energy system to end our dependence on oil and gas. It’s time to rapidly scale up investment in renewables and energy efficiency while winding down fossil fuel production. A just transition will not be realised while profit obsessed fossil companies call the shots.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Energy price cap set to rise https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60242432
https://www.shell.com/investors/results-and-reporting/quarterly-results/2021/q4-2021.html
Friends of the Earth Scotland is:
* Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation
* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland
* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 73 national member groups, and 5,000 local activist groups.