North Sea Countries Fails To Align Oil and Gas Policies With Paris Agreement, Report Says

Recent research shows that North Sea countries are not on pace to reduce production in accordance with the Paris Agreement's aims for limiting carbon emissions.

According to the campaign group Oil Change International, the five countries-the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark-have failed to align their oil and gas policies with their climate obligations under the agreement.

Oil And Gas Policies

According to OCI policy analysts, the five countries have the greatest economic capacity and responsibility to rapidly phase down extraction, yet these major energy actors are taking insufficient action.

The report stated that Norway and the United Kingdom's policies were the furthest from the Paris climate pact because the governments were "aggressively" exploring and licensing new oil and gas reserves.

In 2021, the International Energy Agency determined that there was no place for additional oil exploration on its route to net zero emissions.

According to Tessa Khan, founder of the climate action group Uplift, the United Kingdom is part of a small group of countries that are pushing a disaster for little public gain.

"This government is set on squeezing every last drop out of the North Sea, yet we know we've already discovered more oil and gas than it is safe to burn," she added.

The report criticized the Netherlands for attempting to boost its oil and gas output, as well as Germany, which produces very minor amounts of oil and gas, for failing to implement plans to transition away from these fuels.

Denmark, which has cut production in half over the last five years, came out on top because it has set an end date for oil and gas production and banned future state-initiated licensing rounds. The country has co-founded the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, a group of countries striving to phase out these fuels globally.

However, advocates have urged Denmark to tighten loopholes that allow for additional licenses in certain cases and to accelerate the deadline from 2050 to the early 2030s.

The five North Sea countries hold some of the biggest responsibility for warming the world and have more money than others to invest in sustainable energy.

They have also frequently claimed to be leaders in international climate meetings.

Urgent Action Required

Campaign groups have urged wealthier governments to transition away from oil and gas more quickly, giving poorer countries more opportunity to catch up.

Last year, the Civil Society Equity Review study determined that North Sea producers would have to reduce output by 80% by the end of the decade and phase it out in the early 2030s.

The five countries' economic situations not only allow them to phase out fossil fuels, but also to finance just transitions in the form of renewable energy alternatives on a home scale.

The findings in this report underscore the urgent need for decisive action from North Sea governments. Failure to address these issues not only undermines international climate goals but also jeopardises the livability of our planet, according to Silje Ask Lundberg, North Sea Campaign Manager at Oil Change International.