UK must end oil and gas backing to save planet
● Committee says fossil fuel quest ‘not compatible’ with climate intentions
The UK should stop encouraging exploitation of fossil fuel resources in the Arctic and instead protect the region, according to a Westminster committee.
MPS from the environmental audit committee say the effects of climate change in the Arctic are a global concern and a global responsibility, and are calling on the government to take urgent action.
Following an eight-month inquiry, the group has prepared a new report concluding that ministers should end support for UK businesses to explore oil and gas opportunities in the Arctic.
It says the government should acknowledge such activities cannot go ahead if international commitments to limit climate change are to be taken seriously.
“The Arctic is changing rapidly
0 Oil and gas opportunities in the Arctic are a global concern, say MPS on the environmental audit committee
and warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet,” said Labour’s Mary Creagh, who chairs the committee.
“This brings potentially catastrophic consequences for the global climate, as well as
commercial opportunities and risks. If there is anywhere in the world that the principles of sustainable development should apply, it is the Arctic.”
The report outlines the perilous state of the Arctic, where
sea ice is at its lowest level since records began due to the effects of climate change.
It warns of the likely outcomes of a continued rise in worldwide temperatures, such as the potential release
of trillions of plastic fragments currently frozen in ice sheets and increasing ocean acidity that could kill marine life.
It also outlines a list of recommendations, including strengthening emissions reduction targets and upping support for environmental science and research.
The MPS say a net zero goal should be set for 2050 at the latest in order to conform to commitments set out under the Paris climate agreement and United Nations sustainable development goals.
They say ministers should lay down a clear timeline for a plan to reduce plastic pollution,aswellascreatingaseries of adaptation targets for the next UK Arctic policy.
“The government should start by acknowledging the incompatibility of its support for oil and gas exploitation with its climate change commitments,” Ms Creagh added.
“It can do this by setting targets in line with the sustainable development goals.
“With interest in the Arctic from countries as far away as China and Singapore, the UK must ensure it remains a key player in its protection. We’re calling for increased funding for research and strengthening of UK emissions targets.
“Failing to act now would be a dereliction of a global duty.”