New North Sea oil and gas licences will send ‘wrecking ball’ through climate commitments
The Guardian says Rishi Sunak has announced the approval of about 100 new North Sea oil and gas licences, prompting condemnation from environmental groups, who said it would “send a wrecking ball” through the UK’s climate commitments.
Making a visit to Aberdeenshire on Monday, the prime minister argued however that the move would help the UK reach its target of meeting net zero by 2050.
Speaking to the BBC, Sunak stressed his desire to maintain UK fossil fuel exploration, a key political dividing line with Labour, which has said it will stop any new North Sea drilling if it comes into power.
Ahead of the visit, No 10 unveiled a plan for a new round of licences, as well as plans for two new carbon capture and storage facilities, including the Acorn scheme in north-east Scotland, which missed out when two other sites were chosen for such facilities in 2021.
