PRESS RELEASE : Expanding North Sea oil and gas has no connection to reality of climate change, Greens warn [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Green Party on 7 October 2022.

Responding to Business Secretary Jacob Rees Mogg’s opening up of a new North Sea Oil and Gas exploration round [1], Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:

“The government’s claim that burning ever more fossil fuels from the North Sea will help the UK meet its international obligations to become net zero by 2050 [2] has no connection to reality – we truly have stepped through the Looking Glass.

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Energy Agency and the United Nations have each warned there can be no new fossil fuel projects if there is to be any chance of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5 degrees.

“Furthermore, Jacob Rees-Mogg’s claims that these new licences will increase energy security in the face of Russian aggression is also for the birds. The North Sea Transition Authority, which regulates them, says even the fast-tracked ones won’t come on stream for five years.

“The only people who benefit from this reckless decision are the fossil fuel companies and vested interests who have backed the Truss government and are now receiving their payback.

“The reality is, we can only hope to hold global warming to under 1.5 degrees if we leave fossil fuels in the ground.

“The most effective and sustainable way to ensure energy security is to invest in insulating houses and massively ramping up renewable energy [3]. New oil and gas exploration is an expensive and dangerous road to planetary destruction.”

ENDS

Notes

1

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63163824

2

In her speech to the Conservative Party Autumn Conference, Prime Minister Liz Truss said: “We are opening more gas fields in the North Sea and delivering more renewables and nuclear energy. That is how we will protect the great British environment, deliver on our commitment to net zero and tackle climate change.”

3

At itsAutumn Conference last weekend, the Green Party presented its plan to tax tbe wealth of the richest 1% at a rate starting at 1% to raise at least £70bn to invest in insulating peoples’ homes and expanding renewables