Ditch fossil fuels to cut energy bills, UK govt told

The British government's advisory Climate Change Committee has told business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng that getting the country off fossil fuels as its main source of energy is the best way to bring soaring energy prices under control.

Despite this, it stopped short of saying that no further licences should be given for drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea, instead saying that they should be subject to "stringent tests".

The committee's chair, former Conservative environment secretary John Gummer, said new drilling would not bring energy bills down, and that not issuing licences would send a clear message to the world about how seriously the United Kingdom took the issue of climate change.

However, the committee went on to say that as it could not come to a definite conclusion on whether or not global emissions would be significantly increased by more drilling, and that its main concern was energy security, the final decision on the matter must rest with ministers

"Weighing these advantages is an inherently political decision, which goes beyond climate policy and sits rightly with government, not with my committee," Gummer wrote, adding that increased North Sea drilling would be unlikely to have much impact on energy bills, which have emerged as one of the biggest political issues in the country this year.

"Any increases in UK extraction of oil and gas would have, at most, a marginal effect on the prices faced by UK consumers in future," he added.

Last year, the UK hosted the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, and it continues to lead the way in international climate change efforts, another factor Gummer said should be considered when thinking about future domestic policy.

"Continuing to allow extraction may weaken UK diplomacy to encourage other countries to adapt ambitious climate policies," he said.

With fears being expressed about the potential disruption to energy supplies from Russia because of possible sanctions following the Ukraine tensions, Kwarteng said this situation was not something that would put the UK in a position of vulnerability when it came to energy supply.

"The UK is not dependent on Russian gas. Our single largest source is within British waters," he tweeted. "However, every country is vulnerable to prices set by global markets."

He added that "in an uncertain world, it would be complete madness to turn off North Sea oil and gas," and said the government "will continue to back domestic production for our energy security as we transition to cheap, clean power."

Environmental groups greeted the reaction to the committee's findings with dismay.

"Anyone who's read this advice and thinks the North Sea's future lies in oil and gas is utterly deluded, because it will take decades and won't ease energy bills," said Rosie Rogers, head of oil and gas transition for Greenpeace UK.

"The future of the North Sea is in renewables. Our economy, our energy security and our climate depends on it."