Commenting on the UK Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, Mike Tholen, Upstream Policy Director with Oil & Gas UK, said:
“Oil & Gas UK welcomes the Government’s publication of the Clean Growth Strategy. The UK offshore oil and gas industry strives to reduce its emissions and CO2 emissions from production have fallen by 30% since 2000 – now accounting for just 3% of total domestic CO2 emissions. This downward trend is expected to continue.
“Oil and gas play a vital role in the UK’s energy mix with our own domestic resources meeting over half of our demand in 2016. Their importance in the UK’s energy mix will continue for decades to come with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicating they will continue to meet approximately two thirds demand by 2035.
“With up to 20 billion barrels of oil and gas still to recover from the UK Continental Shelf, industry is well placed to provide an indigenous resource to help meet this energy need, whilst supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK.
“Additionally, meeting demand with domestic hydrocarbons eases our reliance on international resources, ensures we protect security of energy supply and mitigates against carbon leakage.
“Gas has transformed the UK’s power sector in recent years, with a significant coal-to-gas switching in the power mix achieving cost-effective emissions reductions. This switching made a major contribution to an estimated 20% fall in UK power sector emissions in 2016, underlining the important role gas should continue to play as part of a cost-effective decarbonisation of the energy system.
“Oil & Gas UK welcomes the Government’s commitment to technology in the strategy, especially with regards to carbon abatement measures such as Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage. Oil & Gas UK looks forward to working with the Government to see how these technologies can further reduce emissions across the economy.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Issued by the Communications Team, Oil & Gas UK. Contact Communications Manager Jennifer Phillips on 01224 577279 / [email protected].
Oil & Gas UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK offshore oil and gas industry. Its membership comprises oil and gas producers and contractor companies.
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