Climate Justice Campaigners Urge Labour Party for Fair Transition to Clean Energy Amid Vow to Block Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

Climate justice campaigners have called on the Labour Party to ensure a fair transition to clean energy for displaced workers, while applauding their commitment to block new offshore oil and gas drilling if they gain control of the United Kingdom Parliament. Freya Aitchison, an oil and gas campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, emphasized the need to leave fossil fuels in the ground to prevent further climate breakdown. While welcoming Labour’s opposition to new fossil fuel developments, Aitchison stressed the importance of accompanying this stance with plans for a just transition to renewable energy. An unnamed Labour Party source revealed on Sunday that they are against granting new licenses for oil and gas in the North Sea. The source pointed out that these licenses would not reduce bills, as acknowledged by the Conservative Party MP and chair of the U.K.’s independent Committee on Climate Change, John Gummer. The source highlighted the negative impact of such licenses on energy security and climate targets. They also stated that Labour would responsibly manage existing oil and gas wells over the coming decades as part of the transformation into a clean energy superpower. Labour Leader Keir Starmer is expected to formally announce the party’s commitment in Scotland next month during the unveiling of a net-zero energy policy blueprint. The Guardian reported that this blueprint will not only include a ban on new North Sea oil and gas licenses but also a restriction on borrowing for investments to green schemes.