Tories Pledge to Extract Every Drop of Oil and Gas from the North Sea
In a bold shift of energy strategy, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged that a future Tory government will “get all our oil and gas out of the North Sea”, effectively abandoning net‑zero mandates in favour of maximising fossil fuel extraction.
Set to deliver her speech in Aberdeen Britain’s offshore energy capital Badenoch intends to overhaul the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). She will strip its “transition” remit and replace it with a mandate that prioritises extraction above all else.
According to Badenoch, Britain has already outpaced other major economies in decarbonisation since 1990, yet continues to suffer from exorbitant energy prices. She frames keeping North Sea reserves untapped as an economic self-sabotage that weakens national energy independence.
But Labour isn’t holding back. Energy and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband condemned the proposal as “anti‑science,” underscoring the escalating climate risks that demand urgent action not fossil fuel expansion.
Environmental campaigners are also raising the alarm. A court ruling earlier this year declared approval for new oil and gas projects, including the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, unlawful due to failure to account for “downstream emissions” that is, the emissions from burning the extracted fossil fuels meaning no extraction can proceed until environmental assessments are revisited.
The growing tension between economic ambition and climate responsibility surfaces a larger question: Can the UK reconcile energy security with its legally binding net-zero targets?
With this pledge, the Tories are placing their bet firmly on fossil fuels whilst climate advocates warn this gamble may undermine long-term sustainable progress.
Source: BBC
