Offshore staff
LONDON – Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) is supporting a request for talks on long-term policies to help Britain meet its emissions and climate goals.
A recent letter, signed by representatives of various UK and Scottish business and industrial organizations, warns that politicians risk destabilizing the UK’s oil and gas industry by calling for an end to new exploration and production without fully considering the consequences.
Signatories include executives at the British Chambers of Commerce, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, and Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
The letter urges politicians to reflect carefully on their public pronouncements on oil and gas: “Statements calling for an end to new exploration and production have shaken investor confidence and placed tens of thousands of jobs – together with the economic wellbeing of whole communities across the UK – at risk.
“We must now pause and allow for a reasoned debate about our energy future to take place.”
OGUK stressed that the UK will need oil and gas for several more decades and that oil and gas from the UK’s waters will help safeguard jobs and skills, also improving energy security and lessening the need for imports.
According to the industry association, research indicates that most Scots do not support an urgent shutdown of Britain’s oil and gas industry, while 70% would prefer to use UK-sourced oil and gas over imports.
Deirdre Michie, chief executive of OGUK, said: “Right now, we need oil and gas for 73% of our total energy, and so the transition to carbon neutrality will be a huge and complex task.
“We will only be able to achieve it with careful planning by policy-makers who think long-term to develop clear government policies that are then supported by all politicians working together in the national interest.”
Those policies should help UK industry develop technologies for offshore wind, solar power, CO2 capture and storage and industrial-scale hydrogen production, she continued.
“But they must also ensure that, during the transition, the nation keeps getting the energy it needs. For years to come that will mean oil and gas will need to be part of the energy mix.”
12/20/2021
