Energy security claims decried

The Efra group of the PCS civil service union, which represents workers including those in the Defra environment department, says the government’s decision to award 100 new licenses for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea flies in the face of advice from the government’s own Climate Change Committee.

It said statements by senior politicians arguing that increasing domestic fossil fuel extraction is compatible with UK and global net zero commitments are not correct.

And the suggestion that further expanding the UK’s fossil fuel industry is better for energy security and British household budgets — rather than investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures — is also incorrect, it said. The group said that prime minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement is not based on evidence and is misleading. “It is not possible to ‘max’ out gas and oil exploration in the North Sea and claim you are heading for net zero,” the group added.

The Prospect specialists’ union said the announcement on oil and gas licences and carbon capture and storage plans failed to recognise the scale of the response to the climate crisis that is needed.