As a decision on allowing new drilling in the North Sea moves closer for Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Tessa Khan – executive director of Uplift – believes that is not the answer.
She said: “Whether it comes online next week or next year, Jackdaw will have no impact on our energy bills, which is the thing really keeping people up at night, and will do little to increase our energy security.
“Even in the most optimistic scenario, and assuming none of its gas is exported, it would provide just two per cent of UK gas demand over its roughly 10-year lifetime.
“The reality is, the UK has already burned most of its gas and the only way to insulate ourselves from price shocks is to double down on renewables and upgrade homes to get us off gas. This is just common sense in today’s world.
“What Jackdaw would do is add more fossil fuels to a global supply that already exceeds what we can burn in a liveable climate.
“Given the fires, drought and heatwaves that have ravaged the country in recent months, it would be a disaster for the UK government to prioritise oil & gas companies over the public that has suffered through this extreme weather.”
Contact details are available to account holders.
Create a free account to get in touch with this expert.