Rishi Sunak said it would make “absolutely no sense” for the U.K. not to take advantage of its domestic fossil fuel resources as he announced hundreds of new oil and gas drilling licences in the latest setback for climate activists. The Telegraph has more.
The Prime Minister said the new licences showed the Government’s commitment to backing the North Sea oil and gas industry and would help to make Britain more energy independent.
The decision to give the green light to new drilling operations is likely to prompt a backlash from climate change activists.
But Mr. Sunak said even with the 2050 net zero emissions drive a quarter of the U.K.’s energy demand will still be met by oil and gas by the middle of the century and it would be better for the environment if it was produced domestically.
Labour has proposed to ban new oil and gas licences but Mr. Sunak said granting the new contracts was “absolutely the right thing to do”.
Mr. Sunak was asked during an interview on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Monday morning how the new licences would enhance the UK’s chances of hitting the 2050 Net Zero target.
He replied: “Because even when we reach Net Zero in 2050 a quarter of our energy needs will still come from oil and gas and domestic gas production has about a quarter or a third of the carbon footprint of imported gas.
“So not only is it better for our energy security not to rely on foreign dictators for that energy, not only is it good for jobs, particularly Scottish jobs, it is actually better for the environment because there is no point in importing stuff from halfway around the world with two to three times the carbon footprint of the stuff we have got at home. That makes absolutely no sense.”
Mr. Sunak said importing energy from abroad meant the U.K. was the victim of global fluctuations in prices and domestic production would help to shelter people from big cost increases.
He said: “It is important that we increase homegrown sources of energy to improve our resilience but also that is good for Scottish in particular jobs in the U.K.
“It is good for tax revenue as well which funds our public services and given we are going to need energy from fossil fuels for the foreseeable future as we transition to Net Zero, it makes no sense not to use the resources that we have got here at home.”
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