Greenpeace comment on oil and gas licencing bill

Commenting on the Offshore Petroleum Licencing Bill, ahead of the second reading in the House of Commons later today, Greenpeace UK’s political campaigner, Ami McCarthy, said:

“It is incumbent upon all Conservative MPs to follow in the very sensible footsteps of Chris Skidmore and Alok Sharma today and rebel against this nonsensical climate-wrecking Bill.

“Unashamedly shackling the UK to more oil and gas extraction, less than one month after signing an agreement to end the fossil fuel age at COP28 would be hypocritical beyond belief. 

“And what for? – more oil and gas won’t provide the UK with more energy security or lower energy bills, since it'll be sold off internationally. The only genuine way to deliver this - which would also reduce, not increase, our emissions - would be more renewables and home insulation, but the government is once again looking in the wrong direction.

“With much of the country still knee-deep in flood waters, we once again urge all MPs to think long and hard before voting about the actual consequences of passing this Bill today.”

ENDS

Notes to editor:

Chris Skidmore resigns Conservative whip over Sunak’s oil and gas licence plan

Alok Sharma: I won’t back UK government’s oil and gas bill