RISHI Sunak’s claims home-grown oil and gas is much better for the environment have actually been exposed as ‘incorrect’.
An examination by The National’s sister paper – which takes a look at analysis by Uplift – has actually revealed UK gas production is two times as contaminating as the fuel being imported by means of pipelines from Norway, that makes up over half of Britain’s imports.
The Prime Minister – who checked out Scotland last month to announce 100 new oil and gas licences for North Sea developments – said that “we ought to max out the opportunities that we have here in the North Sea”, declaring that “it’s likewise helpful for the environment since the option is delivering energy here from midway around the world with 3 or 4 times a carbon emission”.
But Sunak was comparing the practice to just the dirtiest form of imports, which advocates have actually alerted just “comprise a portion of our general imports”.
In Norway, contaminating practices such as flaring and venting have actually been prohibited for years.
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Data reveals that UK oil, that makes up most of the fuels drawn out from the North Sea, is 27% more contaminating than normal oil imports.
The UK remains in the bottom half of ecological effect for oil manufacturers – ranked 38th out of the 66 countries where information is available.
Statistics from the UK Government’s North Sea Transition Authority reveal that the typical carbon strength of UK gas production is “lower than the average carbon intensity of all sources of natural gas imported to the UK, except pipeline imports from Norway”.
But notably, 34% of UK gas products originate from Norwegian pipeline imports, with domestic gas sitting at 38%, according to stats for 2022.
Despite comprising approximately the very same quantity of the UK’s gas supply, imports from Norway just add to 7% of carbon source emissions, compared to the UK domestic share of 24%.
Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: “The claim that ‘homegrown’ gas is better for the environment than imports is false.
“To make this claim, the Government is comparing UK gas to the dirtiest LNG [Liquefied Natural Gas], imports yet these make up a fraction of our overall imports.
“What they conveniently leave out is UK gas is in the bottom half of the global league table for overall cleanliness and it is twice as polluting as gas from Norway which is where we get the vast majority of our imports.
“Moreover, 70% of what’s left in the North Sea is oil, which definitely isn’t cleaner than the global average and the vast majority of which we export anyway. So the Government’s focus on LNG comparisons is a complete distraction.”
Sunak’s energy strategy has actually been roundly criticised by political challengers and allies, along with from environment advocates and researchers.
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The latest stats from the North Sea Transition Authority reveal that imports from Qatar, the United States and Peru have a considerably greater carbon strength than the UK and Norway – however just comprise around a quarter of the UK’s gas usage.
Andy Samuel, the outbound president of the North Sea Transition Authority, has actually confessed that brand-new licences being authorized will do little to alter the UK’s reliance on imported gas.
He included: “I think it’s unlikely, given it’s a mature basin and the geology is well-known, that we’re suddenly going to have a situation where we are significantly growing production again.”
The Scottish Government’s Energy and Wellbeing Economy Secretary, Neil Gray, has actually identified Sunak’s choice to “max out” the North Sea as “extreme”.
He included: “We don’t think that maximum and unlimited extraction is compatible with our net zero ambitions.”
A representative for the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, said: “The UK is a world leader on net zero, cutting emissions faster than any other G7 country, and last year renewables accounted for over 40% of our electricity, increasing to almost 48% in the first quarter of this year.
“However, even in 2050, when we have reached net zero, it is estimated that the UK may still be using a quarter of the gas we do now. As well as strengthening the UK’s energy independence, this vital industry is protecting over 200,000 jobs as we grow the UK economy.
“Independent research shows that domestically producing gas is on average almost four times cleaner than importing gas in Liquefied Natural Gas form and we have strict measures in place to ensure emissions from oil and gas production are accounted for in our binding domestic carbon budgets.”
