Government refuses to rule out new oil and gas licences in North Sea deal

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. However, it refused to rule out the possibility of new oil and gas licences and instead announced the introduction of a “climate compatibility checkpoint” to ensure that any future licences awarded would be “aligned with wider climate objectives”, including its legal target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Previous analysis by Greenpeace found that any new oil and gas licences would not be in line with the world’s climate goals – if emissions from burning the fossil fuels were counted in addition to emissions caused by the extraction process. “Instead of finding ways to prop up this volatile and polluting sector, a better proposition for workers and communities would be for the government to confirm a ban on new licences, and put all its energies into a nationwide programme of retraining, reskilling and investment in renewables and green infrastructure.” The decision comes just months after Denmark announced plans to end all oil and gas offshore activities in the North Sea by 2050. Ryan Morrison, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said the government’s refusal to rule out new oil and gas licences “exposed the outrageous hypocrisy” in its approach to tackling the climate crisis.