The Weald Action Group has called the government’s proposed ‘climate compatibility checkpoint’ for future oil and gas licensing in the UK Continental Shelf ‘inherently flawed’ – and says the checkpoint threatens both the government’s ability to meet its own net-zero target and the stability of the global climate.
The Group’s strongly-worded response to the government’s consultation:
- cites three recent communications from academics, industrialists, scientists and medical leaders which support an end to new UK oil and gas projects.
- argues that the proposed checkpoint will create doubt about the speed of the UK’s move out of fossil fuels, resulting in ongoing job uncertainty for oil and gas workers who have a right to a just transition to sustainable and secure professions.
- calls for a balance in political focus which places the urgency of addressing energy demand on an equal footing to energy supply.
- points out that the checkpoint will only apply to new oil and gas licensing rounds and ignores the significant climate impact of projects already licensed.
- highlights the lack of clarity over some of the specific potential tests proposed.
Kirsty Clough, a campaigner with the Weald Action Group, said: “We are in a climate emergency and no new fossil fuel projects are compatible with maintaining a stable climate. As a developed country with a diversified economy and a huge historic greenhouse gas emissions burden, the UK must be one of the countries that goes first in ending new oil and gas exploration and production. We urge the Government to scrap the proposed checkpoint and place an immediate moratorium on both offshore and onshore oil and gas projects licensed but not approved, plus all future licensing rounds.”
Read the Weald Action Group response in full
The consultation documents are available on the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy website.
The consultation closes at 11.45pm on 28 February 2022.