New Poll: MPs in denial about North Sea decline
A new poll from YouGov for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has shown that some MPs are unaware of the decline of the North Sea basin.
By Alasdair Johnstone
@A_SJohnstoneShare
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When presented with the North Sea Oil and Gas Transition Authority’s (NSTA) projections that the volume of gas available for extraction annually in the UK will fall by 85% by 2040, meaning 90% of gas would need to be imported if demand stayed at current levels, more than two thirds (71%) of MPs thought the UK should increase investment in renewable energy infrastructure in response.
Just 2% of MPs thought the UK should therefore import more oil and gas from overseas. Just over half (55%) of Conservative MPs thought renewable investment was the right response, but a quarter of the party’s MPs (25%) said they did not accept the NSTA’s projections.
The NSTA is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Its remit is to license, regulate and influence the UK oil and gas, offshore hydrogen and carbon storage industries.
1. Polling conducted by YouGov of 109 UK Members of Parliament between 5th – 31st October 2023.
2. North Sea Oil and Gas Transition Authority: Production Projections (Feb 2023 and Sep 2023): https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/data-and-insights/insights-and-analysis/production-and-expenditure-projections/