Energy / Majority of business leaders want move away from oil and gas, survey finds
THE MAJORITY of UK business leaders support plans to end more oil and gas licensing in the North Sea, Uplift UK has claimed.
The group, which supports efforts for a fair transition away from oil and gas, said it found as many as 70 per cent of business leaders supported the Labour Government’s policy.
Seventy seven per cent of those surveyed also believed that phasing out fossil fuels was in the public interest, according to a survey commissioned by Uplift and conducted by Public First.
Three-quarters of UK business leaders think the decision to ban new rounds of oil and gas licensing sends a strong message about the UK Government’s commitment to the energy transition, it found.
The findings come as the government launches a consultation on how to implement its licensing position over the coming months.
And despite Scotland’s historic ties to oil and gas, more than half of Scottish business leaders (65 per cent) supported ending new licensing.
Eighty two per cent were in favour of the wider plans to end the role that fossil fuels play in generating the UK’s energy.
Uplift said that almost half of those surveyed in Scotland, 47 per cent, think the UK Government is moving too slowly on phasing out oil and gas.
Its executive director, Tessa Khan, said the UK Government needed to send a “clear signal” to those surveyed that it was committed to a clean energy transition.
“Business leaders north and south of the border support the shift from oil and gas to renewables, recognising that it is good for the economy and their businesses, good for the climate and in the public interest,” she said.
“Oil and gas companies are now increasingly out of step, with most North Sea operators showing a commercial disinterest in the shift to clean energy: just seven out of the basin’s 87 oil firms plan to invest anything in renewables between now and 2030.
“When most of what’s left in the basin is oil for export, it’s no wonder business backs the transition to a clean energy system that can provide a reliable and less volatile domestic energy supply.”
Miriam Brett, who is co-director at Future Economy Scotland and a former Shetland parliamentary candidate, said: “North Sea oil and gas is now in steady decline, with jobs supported by the industry more than halving over the past decade – despite hundreds of new oil and gas licences being issued over this period.
“In other words, Scotland’s industrial transition is already underway. The challenge now is to ensure it delivers for energy workers, businesses and impacted communities.
“Looking ahead, there needs to be a coordinated approach between the UK and Scottish governments towards strategic investment in infrastructures of the future, a roadmap to create a sustainable future for impacted workers and communities, and a plan to nurture a thriving domestic supply chain ecosystem.”
The UK and Scottish governments signed an agreement last month which will see the newly formed GB Energy work with Scottish bodies to support renewables projects.
Crown Estate Scotland – which leases seabed around Scottish waters for offshore wind projects – is one of GB Energy’s partners in the project.
Two proposed wind farms off the coast of Shetland were leased through the Crown Estate’s ScotWind auctions – the 2.3GW Arven project, and the 500MW Stoura development.
GB Energy has £8.3 billion in funding to use over this Parliament, with UK Government net zero secretary Ed Miliband pledging Scotland would pave the way for the project.
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