The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has announced plans to grant hundreds of new oil and gas licences in the North Sea as part of its efforts to boost British energy independence. This decision comes despite calls from environmental campaigners and the United Nations to halt the development of new fossil fuel projects.

Sunak's plan includes investing £20 billion ($26 billion) in carbon capture and storage projects to support the government's commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Alongside the new licences, the government will also provide fresh support for two carbon capture and storage (CCS) clusters in Scotland and northern England.

The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of reducing the country's reliance on hostile states for energy supplies, referring to how Putin has weaponized energy, disrupting supplies in various countries. He stressed the need to bolster energy security and capitalize on domestic resources to deliver cleaner and more affordable energy to British homes and businesses.

Despite the net zero target for 2050, Sunak emphasized that even then, a quarter of the UK's energy needs will still come from oil and gas. Using domestic resources is seen as a more environmentally friendly option than importing fuel from overseas.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps echoed the importance of energy independence, particularly in the wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. He stated that new oil and gas licences would drive the UK's energy independence and benefit the economy for generations, safeguarding jobs and energy bills for British families.

However, the decision to expand oil and gas drilling in the North Sea has faced criticism from environmentalists and opposition parties. Some argue that investing in fossil fuels conflicts with the government's net zero goals and may hinder efforts to combat climate change. Labour, in particular, has proposed a ban on new North Sea drilling as part of its strategy to achieve zero-carbon electricity by 2030.

Alice Harrison, Fossil Fuels Campaign Leader at Global Witness, said:

“As Rishi Sunak sets off to Scotland in his private jet to herald a new era of oil and gas production, today is a historic day for fossil fuel companies like BP and Shell, but for people and the planet, this news is about as bad as it gets

“What the vast majority of people in the UK want is energy that’s cheap and clean, like wind and solar. Fossil fuels are expensive, they’re dirty, and as the war in the Ukraine has shown us, they leave us vulnerable to the whim of despots – they belong in the ground and in the past.

“Fossil fuels are also the single biggest cause of climate breakdown. It’s morally depraved to open new oil fields up for drilling at a time when large swaths of the planet are literally on fire because our climate is reaching boiling point. 

“Oil and gas also isn’t the answer to our energy security. The UK currently exports about 80% of the oil produced in the North Sea, and 60% of gas. These new licenses won’t bring down our energy bills, because they’ll take years to come onstream, and the oil and gas produced will be sold to the highest bidder globally. Instead, billions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money will be spent on subsidizing these oil fields, which are extremely expensive to get up-and-running.

“Carbon capture and storage won’t mitigate any of this - it’s nothing more than a greenwashing gimmick by the oil and gas industry. It doesn’t remove carbon from the atmosphere, it only captures it during industrial processes. So it’s not a climate-fixing solution – it's a get-out-of-jail free card for industry that is only ever intended to make fossil fuel-powered industries slightly less polluting, and it has a high failure rate. 

“This is a government that is prioritising the interests of energy companies over its citizens and our climate. Any attempt to brand these measures as tackling energy security or benefitting people struggling with bills is a lie. The government's refusal to phase out fossil fuels is a tragic display of short-sightedness, with catastrophic consequences.” 

While environmentalists express concerns, the government believes that domestic production of oil and gas, coupled with carbon capture initiatives, will contribute to a thriving new industry and job creation.

Amidst debates over the country's energy future, the government faces pressure to balance environmental commitments with political considerations, with the Conservative Party aiming to attract voters while navigating climate challenges.