As Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has signalled he would back the approval of the Jackdaw gas field, located 150 miles east of Aberdeen, stating that he believes the development is likely to pass the “climate test”, Tessa Khan, executive director at Uplift, argues that no new drilling is compatible with safe climate targets.
She said: “It is frightening how short politicians’ memories are. Just weeks ago, we watched wildfires destroy homes, while extreme heat saw NHS operations cancelled, schools closed, trains derailed and, tragically, more vulnerable people die prematurely.
“People across this country are deeply concerned about fossil fuels and what they are doing to our climate – particularly Davey’s own voters.
“Jackdaw will do nothing to bring down energy bills, which are set to rise sharply this winter because of overseas conflict and our high gas dependency. But nor will it make any meaningful difference to our energy security, providing just two per cent of UK gas demand over its roughly 10-year lifetime.
“The science is clear: no new drilling is compatible with safe climate limits – existing global oil and gas reserves already far exceed what can be safely burned. The defining test of this Labour government’s credibility on climate is the huge Rosebank field, which is wholly incompatible with our international commitments.
“The way to cut bills and maintain a safe climate for ourselves and our children is to switch to clean electricity and get off gas. In today’s world, that is just common sense.”
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