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Natural gas

Kemi Badenoch Vows to Take On "Bullying" Climate Change Activists Over North Sea Oil and Gas Exploration

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, has pledged to address what she describes as "endless legal challenges" by environmental groups to halt North Sea oil and gas exploration. Speaking at a conference in Aberdeen, she accused Labour of "surrendering to the activists" over two of the largest fields in development, Rosebank and Jackdaw. Badenoch vowed that a Tory government would ensure "no more judicial overreach" and pledged to introduce a presumption in favour of new fields getting the green light. Her intervention came after she pledged to extract as much oil and gas from the North Sea as possible, arguing that economic growth and the national interest must come before net zero targets.

Key Takeaways:

  • Kemi Badenoch has vowed to take on "bullying" climate change activists and accused Labour of "surrendering to the activists" over North Sea oil and gas exploration.
  • The Conservative Party leader promised to introduce a presumption in favour of new fields getting the green light and to end what she describes as "lawfare" blocking oil and gas projects.
  • Badenoch warned that 180 out of 280 fields will shut down in the next five years without urgent action, describing it as "collapse" and a threat to the UK's ability to stand on its own two feet.
  • Greenpeace UK's head of politics, Ami McCarthy, countered that North Sea reserves are drying up and what's left and untapped is barely enough to keep it on life support.
  • The UK is currently reliant on imports for more than 80% of oil and gas demand, with Badenoch warning that this will increase to over 90% by 2030 unless more investment is made.
  • Shell's Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea was originally approved by the Conservative government in 2022, while permission for the Rosebank oil development was granted in 2023.

Statistics:

  • 180 out of 280 fields in the North Sea will shut down in the next five years if urgent action is not taken.
  • The UK is currently reliant on imports for more than 80% of oil and gas demand.
  • It is predicted that this will increase to over 90% by 2030.
  • Shell's Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea was approved by the Conservative government in 2022.
  • Permission for the Rosebank oil development, the UK's largest untapped field, was granted in 2023.

Sources:

  • "Kemi Badenoch vows to take on 'bullying' climate change activists over North Sea oil and gas exploration" by Scottish Political Editor, The Scotsman (no date)
  • "Thousands of North Sea jobs 'at risk for Labour's net zero zealotry'" by Scottish Political Editor, The Scotsman (no date)
  • "Rosebank and Jackdaw oil field projects delayed after court ruling" by BBC News (January 2024)
  • "Shell's Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea approved by Conservative government" by Shell (no date)
  • "Rosebank oil development: Permission granted for massive North Sea project" by The Herald (autumn 2023)

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