Kwarteng: We can’t just switch off oil industry
ABANDONING Scotland’s oil and gas industry would be ‘irresponsible and wrong’, the UK energy secretary has warned.
Kwasi Kwarteng yesterday signalled his support for the controversial Cambo oil field, west of Shetland.
Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme about fossil fuel extraction, he said the Government cannot ‘simply switch it off’.
His comments come after Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said the site must ‘100 per cent’ go ahead as planned, with demand for oil and gas remaining high.
The issue is hugely controversial and has split the SNP.
Mr Kwarteng was speaking from Cop26, where officials were discussing ‘energy’ yesterday as part of a two-week programme to tackle climate change.
The UK Government has been key in persuading other nations to sign a pledge to phase out the use of coal due to the high emissions created from burning it.
He was asked whether ministers are hypocrites due to the continued drilling for oil and gas in the UK.
Mr Kwarteng said: ‘I don’t think so because in that context the licence was given 20 years ago and also, as energy minister, I feel very strongly, I was very keen to have a North Sea transition deal and the key word is transition.’
Although ministers across the Scottish and UK Governments have admitted there must be a transition away from mass extraction of fossil fuels, they have warned that this cannot mean an immediate shutdown due to fears for workers.
Those who support Cambo also warn that continued demand would lead the country to import fuel if there is no domestic access to oil and gas.
Mr Kwarteng said: ‘We want to transition the North Sea oil and gas sector to net zero.
‘That doesn’t mean you just simply switch it off because 250,000 people in the UK work in the sector and it would be irresponsible and wrong for any minister to say we are simply going to shut the door on the industry.’
The SNP and Scottish Government are split on whether the Cambo field should go ahead.
A licence was approved for new drilling at the site, but Nicola Sturgeon has called for this to be reassessed.
A series of senior politicians want the site to go ahead, while Scottish Green ministers Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie oppose the move.