Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November to Question 186939 on British Petroleum: Offshore Industry, whether the Oil and Gas Authority (a) must or (b) may take into account the effect of oil and gas developments on the UK’s carbon emissions and commitments as a signatory to the Paris Agreement when making such decisions.

The remit of the Oil and Gas Authority is to Maximise the Economic Recovery of Petroleum from the UKCS (MER UK). The Energy Act 2016 sets out matters to which the OGA must have regard whilst exercising its functions.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/20/section/8/enacted

Greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of the UK’s economy are taken into account when assessing our performance against the carbon budgets and the UK remains committed to the Paris Agreement.

As part of this, we have requested that they provide evidence on how reductions in line with the Committee on Climate Change’s recommendations might be delivered in key sectors of the economy and we will consider their advice carefully when it is received.