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Kemi Badenoch has pledged that a Conservative government would strip out all net zero requirements for North Sea oil and gas operators and focus solely on “maximising extraction” of fossil fuels.
In a speech in Aberdeen on Tuesday, the Tory leader is expected to promise that her party will “get all our oil and gas out of the North Sea”, dismissing emissions reduction rules as a burden on producers that drive up household bills.
“The UK is leaving vital resources untapped while neighbours like Norway extract them from the same seabed,” Badenoch said, adding that it was “absurd” to restrict drilling in pursuit of net zero targets.
A dramatic policy shift
The plan represents a major reversal of Conservative climate policy. In 2019 Theresa May’s government enshrined the 2050 net zero target in law, aligning the UK with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rises to well below 2C.
But Badenoch has argued that hitting net zero by 2050 is “impossible” and said she would scrap obligations for oil and gas firms to cut emissions or invest in carbon capture. The approach echoes Donald Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” stance in the US and diverges sharply from the Biden administration’s clean energy subsidies.
It also puts the Conservatives at odds with the Labour government, which has committed to banning new exploration licences. A government spokesperson said: “Exploring new fields will not take a penny off bills or improve energy security, but it will accelerate the worsening climate crisis.”
Industry and political reaction
The pledge has divided opinion. Trade body Offshore Energies UK said producing oil and gas domestically was vital while the country still relied on fossil fuels. Chief executive David Whitehouse said: “The choice is clear — do we prioritise our homegrown energy or sacrifice jobs to rely on imports? While we use oil and gas, let us produce it here responsibly, alongside an accelerated rollout of renewables.”
However, environmental groups and opposition parties condemned the plan. Tessa Khan of campaign group Uplift called it “reckless” and warned it would mean “more emissions, more environmental harm and more handouts to oil and gas giants at the nation’s expense”.
Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Tim Farron branded the move “irresponsible environmental vandalism”, while Green MP Ellie Chowns said: “The best option for British jobs and growth is investment in green industries, not clinging to the technology of the 20th century.”
The bigger picture
Scientists have warned that 2024 was the first year global average temperatures exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels — the Paris Agreement’s lower threshold — making it the hottest year since records began.
The Scottish government has also urged caution. Gillian Martin, Scotland’s energy secretary, said the North Sea basin was “maturing” and that a “responsible approach” required planning for a transition to new fuels while protecting the North East’s skilled workforce.
The current Labour government points to “the biggest ever investment in offshore wind and three carbon capture and storage clusters” as evidence of its commitment to both energy security and climate goals.
With energy security and climate policy set to be flashpoints in the next election, Badenoch’s pledge underlines the Conservatives’ strategy to position themselves as the party of fossil fuel expansion — even as global pressure mounts to accelerate the shift to renewables.
