Labour can't have it both ways - we either offshore our emissions or back UK industry

30 July 2019

Industry reaction to Labour call for ban on fracking – they can't have it both ways

The Labour Party stated in a press release from 14th of July 2019 that 'offshoring our emissions isn't just bad for the climate, it's bad for UK industry.'

We totally agree with this view.

However, the Labour Party today appears to have completely ignored a critical element of the recent Committee on Climate Change's net zero report which forecasts that natural gas will still be required in 2050 at a rate of 70% of today's consumption.

The UK currently imports 50% of its gas requirement with increasing quantities arriving via tankers from Russia, US, Peru and other countries. This gas has double the production, processing and transport emissions of UK shale gas and our dependency on it will reach 86% by 2050. However, those imported gas emissions are not within the UK's budgets. In effect the UK can 'offshore' its emissions by importing more carbon intensive natural gas – the one thing the Labour Party apparently wants to avoid.

Ken Cronin, Chief Executive of UK Onshore Oil and Gas, commented:

"Labour seems to want it both ways – no shale gas but no offshoring of emissions. But these are mutually exclusive propositions and Labour's denial of the facts about homegrown UK production will only lead to us relying more and more on higher emission imports from Qatar and Russia. Leading independent climate change experts are clear, we will need natural gas well beyond 2050 to deliver net zero. Labour should be supporting the UK gas industry to create UK jobs as we work towards meeting our emissions targets."