The news that approved Rosebank oilfield has been approved, coupled with Sunak’s net zero speech on 20 September provides a clear picture of a Government which is intent on watering down or outright abandoning our crucial climate commitments. 

It is for this reason that I believe that the Government’s plan to double down on fossil fuels with new exploration in the North Sea is the completely wrong answer to the fossil fuel crisis we face. You can read more about my previous work here: https://www.louisehaigh.org.uk/climate-change/ 

Rishi Sunak’s single minded and shortsighted plan, sends the message that the UK does not take the climate crisis seriously enough, and is not showing the leadership that is needed in this climate emergency.

However the Climate Change Committee is clear that we need to continue to use existing oil and gas wells over the coming decades and manage them sustainably.

Therefore a Labour Government would honour existing licences and ban the sale of new ones. The reality is that oil and gas will be part of our energy mix for decades to come, and this includes oil and gas generated from existing wells in the North Sea.

We are clear that investment in renewable energy – in hydrogen, wind, solar and tidal is absolutely essential both to tackling climate change and to growing our economy.

Labour’s green prosperity plan will ramp up investment to reach £28 billion per year for tackling climate change, growing the green economy and creating good, green secure jobs across the country. 

I am incredibly proud of Labour’s plan to deliver a cheaper, zero-carbon electricity system by 2030. This would include establishing GB Energy – a new publicly-owned clean generation company – and quadrupling offshore wind, more than tripling solar power and more than doubling onshore wind capacity. Combined with plans to insulate 19 million homes, this could save households up to £1,400 a year on their energy bills.