5.
(North East Scotland) (Con)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update
on its position on new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.
(S6O-00127)
The
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport ()
The Scottish Government’s position remains the same: we recognise
that offshore licensing is reserved and call on the United
Kingdom Government to commit to reassessing licences that have
already been issued but for which field development has not yet
commenced. The future of the North Sea must be a positive part of
our just transition to net zero through offshore energy
integration, including renewable energy generation, hydrogen
production and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
Our just transition plan for energy will involve working closely
with the sector to seize the economic opportunities that those
technologies present while playing our part in the global energy
challenge and making sure that we have a just transition.
Presiding Officer:
“the hard fact is that early closure of domestic production,
before we are able to meet all demand from zero-carbon sources,
would be likely to increase emissions, because a significant
proportion of the oil that would then require to be imported has
a higher carbon intensity than UK production.”—[Official Report,
3 September 2019; c 19.]
Those are not my words; they are those of the First Minister.
Does the cabinet secretary agree with her?
The member needs to recognise that the Scottish Government is not
suggesting that oil and gas production should stop, but it
clearly cannot be business as usual, given the climate emergency
that we are facing. That is why we need an emergency response to
the issues.
Key to supporting the industry in making that transition is
assisting it to move towards technologies that reduce the carbon
output of the oil and gas sector. A good example of that is
carbon capture and storage. The Acorn project in Peterhead has been
on the stocks for years now, but the UK Government has
continually refused to—[Interruption.]
The
Presiding Officer
Members!
The UK Government has continually refused to approve it, although
that project would have a leading role in helping to decarbonise
the sector. That is why I hope that all those members of the
Scottish Parliament from the north-east will get behind the
Acorn project and call on the UK
Government to take action, give it approval and allow it to go
ahead.
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. The cabinet secretary
pointed directly at me. I think that that is inappropriate.
The
Presiding Officer
Thank you. Members will be aware of the importance of treating
one another with courtesy and respect at all times.
