Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the licensing of new offshore oil and gas with their commitments under (1) the Paris Climate Agreement, and (2) the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework.

The Government is reducing demand for oil and gas but will still need it for years to come. The independent Climate Change Committee has recognised this transition cannot happen overnight. The Government implemented the Climate Compatibility Checkpoint to assess whether new domestic hydrocarbon licensing is compatible with the UK’s climate targets. New licenses do not involve any slowing of the UK’s transition to net zero.

The environmental impact of offshore developments is subject to rigorous regulatory assessment by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning, including a full environmental impact assessment and consultation with statutory nature protection bodies and the public.