 Granting hundreds of new North Sea oil and gas licences is 'entirely consistent' with the UK's net zero pledge, Rishi Sunak has said. The prime minister flew to Aberdeenshire on Monday to announce permits for more than 100 new projects from this autumn and pledge many more down the line. He immediately came under fire from environmental campaigners, Labour and green-minded Tories, who accused him of undermining Britain's chances of meeting its legal requirement to become carbon neutral by 2050. Mr Sunak was also criticised for 'putting a green gloss' on the move claiming it is 'better for the climate' and talking up smaller eco pledges at the same time. He also used his visit to confirm two new carbon capture and storage projects, an emerging technology which extracts CO2 from the air and stores it underground. He told reporters: 'It is really important for everyone to recognise that even in 2050 when we are at net zero, it is forecast that around a quarter of our energy needs will still come from oil and gas – that's why technologies like carbon capture and storage are important. 'But what is important then is we get that oil and gas in the best possible way and that means getting it here at home. The move will ramp up oil and gas projects off the Scottish coast (Picture: Reuters) '[It is] better for our energy security, not being reliant on foreign dictators, better for jobs, for example 100,000 supported here in Scotland, but also better for the climate because if we are going to need it, far better to have it here at home.' Mr Sunak argued drilling in the North Sea means oil and gas would not need to be imported 'from halfway around the world with two, three, four times the carbon emissions'. He did not provide any figures indicating how much less CO2 the UK would end up emitting this way. But the emissions produced by a tanker shipping fuel across the world are a tiny fracti){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Granting hundreds of new North Sea oil and gas licences is ‘entirely consistent’ with the UK’s net zero pledge, Rishi Sunak has said.
The prime minister flew to Aberdeenshire on Monday to announce permits for more than 100 new projects from this autumn and pledge many more down the line.
He immediately came under fire from environmental campaigners, Labour and green-minded Tories, who accused him of undermining Britain’s chances of meeting its legal requirement to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Mr Sunak was also criticised for ‘putting a green gloss’ on the move claiming it is ‘better for the climate’ and talking up smaller eco pledges at the same time.