OGUK urges politicians to learn from mistakes of the past and deliver a fair oil and gas transition

26/10/2021
Deirdre Michie, Chief Executive, Oil & Gas UK
Deirdre Michie, OGUK chief executive

RESPONDING to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s keynote speech on Scotland’s priorities for COP26, OGUK, the leading representative body for the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry has reaffirmed its commitment and central role in helping Scotland achieve its net zero emissions by 2045 target, whilst protecting energy security and the 71,500 jobs the sector supports for people across Scotland. 

The sector was one of the first to come out in support of Scotland and the UK’s net zero ambitions and is already in action to drive this forward.

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OGUK highlighted oil and gas will continue to be part of the low carbon energy mix that is being developed and that there is already a clear plan in place to help Scotland meet its climate obligations and ensure energy security in the shape of the recent North Sea Transition Deal. The Deal is the first of its kind by any G7 country and harnesses the sector’s decades of energy expertise to accelerate the greener energies that are recognised by the independent Climate Change Committee as being needed to help Scotland get to net zero by 2045, including wind, hydrogen and carbon capture.

OGUK CEO Deirdre Michie said:

“We need to learn from the political mistakes of the past and deliver a fair transition for the oil and gas sector that protects jobs, the economy and affordable energy while meeting our climate goals.

“The UK oil and gas industry is changing. Today it supports 71,500 jobs in Scotland and contributes billions to our economy in production taxes alone. With support for our plan to significantly reduce industry emissions while using our skills to build the greener energies we need, we can unlock 40,000 new jobs across the UK and protect energy communities – and it’s already happening.

“The North Sea is a depleting resource which today only meets half of the country’s oil and gas needs. No one in this industry wants to deliver more than what is actually needed. It would be helpful to hear more politicians acknowledge the reality that prematurely stopping production here wouldn’t make a jot of difference to demand. The cliff edge transition proposed by a minority would see all of Scotland’s oil and gas needs met by imports from other countries with no benefit to jobs, taxes paid or environmental accountability.”

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