North Sea body backs easing climate rules for oil and gas amid green fury

One of the UK’s leading energy bodies has supported the scrapping of scope three emissions requirements for new oil and gas exploration.

Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) said it was not possible to devise a meaningful test for emissions linked to the end product use of oil and gas – such as the burning of fossil fuels to power a car or light up a house.

Instead, they argued it was right that the Government and offshore watchdog, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), focused on carbon emissions linked to the production of hydrocarbons.

Ross Dornan, market intelligence manager at OEUK, explained: “There is no internationally agreed methodology for the tracking and reporting of scope three emissions and therefore it would not be possible to implement an evidence based, transparent and simple test as part of the climate compatibility checkpoint.”

OEUK also pointed out that oil and gas products are used for a vast array of purposes spanning petrochemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals and fuels, including outside the UK.

“As a result of this, data which accurately tracks the end use of UK continental shelf production, and associated scope three emissions, is not available and therefore it would not be possible to monitor this in an evidence based, transparent and simple manner,” argued Dornan.

The ‘Climate Compatibility Checkpoint’ establishes the environmental criteria for North Sea oil and gas exploration, which all projects are expected to pass to be involved in licensing rounds.

The terms for the checkpoint were finally revealed by the Government last week, paving the way for the upcoming 33rd licensing round for new projects.

It could take begin as soon as October 4, with announcements on projects expected next April.

More than 100 licences could be issued, with a focus on both expanding existing infrastructure and exploring for new oilfields.

It is more than two years since the last round, which is usually carried out annually and overseen by the NSTA.

Prior to the announcement, the checkpoints were expected to include six tests, as suggested by Downing Street’s independent advisory board, the Climate Change Committee (CCC).

Three of the proposed six tests for the climate compatibility checkpoint have remained in place, including emissions from oil rigs and pipelines, how such emissions compare to global rivals and whether new projects will could help curb imports.

However, three other potential tests have since been scrapped, including the scope three emission requirements.

One of the other proposed tests was whether an oil and gas field would push up global production to levels that would endanger the international goal of holding temperature rises to 1.5C – in line with the Paris Agreement.

A test on linking approvals to how firms were investing in clean energy was also ditched by the Government.

North Sea oil and gas exploration featured prominently in the Government’s released energy security strategy in April, with Downing Street eager to boost domestic energy generation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

Nevertheless, environmental groups and green think tanks have slammed the latest developments – accusing the Government of watering down environmental regulations.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Oil and Gas campaigner Freya Aitchison dismissed the checkpoints in their current form as a ‘hopeless charade”

She said: “The UK government’s supposed checkpoint is a worthless charade as there can be no climate compatible new oil and gas. It is a deeply cynical attempt to provide cover for reckless plans to expand the very industry that is fuelling both the climate and the cost of living crises.”

Meanwhile, Heather Plumpton, policy analyst at Green Alliance, hammered the new checkpoints as “meaningless”.

She added: “The UK government is risking its global reputation as a leader on tackling climate change and its commitment to keep warming to 1.5 degrees as set out under the Paris Agreement.”.

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