Alistair Grant
THE SCOTSMAN
Thu, 24 August 2023
John Kerry. Picture: AP Photo/Alastair Grant
The US climate envoy has suggested he disagrees with the UK Government’s policy on North Sea oil and gas as he cast doubt on whether new drilling will even go ahead.
John Kerry, President Joe Biden’s net zero chief, said the transition away from fossil fuels had to be sped up.
He made the comments after delivering the first in a series of annual lectures taking place during the Edinburgh International Festival, called the “Scottish global dialogues”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak previously said he wants to "max out the opportunities" in the North Sea as he confirmed hundreds of new licences for oil and gas extraction will be granted in the UK.
Senator Kerry was asked if he thinks the UK Government is sticking to its climate pledges. He said: “They’re saying at the same time that they’re going to keep on target and they’re going to meet their targets. The UK is deploying a massive amount of wind power, and the more that goes out there the more it’s going to be competitive with fossil fuels.
“Let’s see whether they actually drill. Let’s see what happens. Because I think that dynamic is shifting all over the world. There’s a change in the demand curve and there’s a change in the supply, and we’ll see how this works through.”
Mr Kerry was also asked how the UK policy to "max out" opportunities in the North Sea could possibly align with his own message on the climate crisis.
He initially answered: "It's not my job to be commenting on other countries policies specifically."
However, pushed that his comments did not align with the UK Government's position, he said: "Well then, you've got your answer."
He added: "What I've said, folks, is we have to reduce unabated burning of fossil fuel. We are also - the United States is drilling, because there is a demand level in the marketplace today."
He continued: "This doesn't have to happen by tomorrow. We have to speed up. We have to meet the goal of the Paris Agreement. We have to do what the scientists tell us keeps 1.5C alive. That's our standard in the United States, and that's the standard, I think, of most of Europe, and I think this had been the standard of the UK.
"I don't know how that plays out in terms of what they've said about every last drop, but that's not our policy."
During a visit to Shell’s St Fergus gas plant near Peterhead in July, Mr Sunak said: "My view is we should max out the opportunities that we have here in the North Sea, because that's good for our energy security, it's good for jobs – particularly here in Scotland – but it's also good for the climate because the alternative is shipping energy here from halfway around the world with three or four times the carbon emissions. So any which way you look at it, the right thing to do is to invest and to back our North Sea, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Thu, 24 August 2023
John Kerry. Picture: AP Photo/Alastair Grant
The US climate envoy has suggested he disagrees with the UK Government’s policy on North Sea oil and gas as he cast doubt on whether new drilling will even go ahead.
John Kerry, President Joe Biden’s net zero chief, said the transition away from fossil fuels had to be sped up.
He made the comments after delivering the first in a series of annual lectures taking place during the Edinburgh International Festival, called the “Scottish global dialogues”.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak previously said he wants to "max out the opportunities" in the North Sea as he confirmed hundreds of new licences for oil and gas extraction will be granted in the UK.
Senator Kerry was asked if he thinks the UK Government is sticking to its climate pledges. He said: “They’re saying at the same time that they’re going to keep on target and they’re going to meet their targets. The UK is deploying a massive amount of wind power, and the more that goes out there the more it’s going to be competitive with fossil fuels.
“Let’s see whether they actually drill. Let’s see what happens. Because I think that dynamic is shifting all over the world. There’s a change in the demand curve and there’s a change in the supply, and we’ll see how this works through.”
Mr Kerry was also asked how the UK policy to "max out" opportunities in the North Sea could possibly align with his own message on the climate crisis.
He initially answered: "It's not my job to be commenting on other countries policies specifically."
However, pushed that his comments did not align with the UK Government's position, he said: "Well then, you've got your answer."
He added: "What I've said, folks, is we have to reduce unabated burning of fossil fuel. We are also - the United States is drilling, because there is a demand level in the marketplace today."
He continued: "This doesn't have to happen by tomorrow. We have to speed up. We have to meet the goal of the Paris Agreement. We have to do what the scientists tell us keeps 1.5C alive. That's our standard in the United States, and that's the standard, I think, of most of Europe, and I think this had been the standard of the UK.
"I don't know how that plays out in terms of what they've said about every last drop, but that's not our policy."
During a visit to Shell’s St Fergus gas plant near Peterhead in July, Mr Sunak said: "My view is we should max out the opportunities that we have here in the North Sea, because that's good for our energy security, it's good for jobs – particularly here in Scotland – but it's also good for the climate because the alternative is shipping energy here from halfway around the world with three or four times the carbon emissions. So any which way you look at it, the right thing to do is to invest and to back our North Sea, and that’s what we’re doing.”
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