Tim Eggar, formand for den britiske olie- og gasmyndighed (OGA), sendte flodbølger gennem branchen onsdag (15. januar), da han sagde, at stigende offentlig opmærksomhed omkring klimaforandringer satte olie og gassektorens overlevelse på spil.
“At skifte offentlig holdning til klimaforandringer er ”den største udfordring”, som olie- og gasindustrien står overfor, sagde Eggar i en tale til industriledere i denne uge, ifølge Euroactiv.
Videre rapporterer Euractiv:
“Clearly, climate change is happening right now. That debate is over,” he told industry delegates in Aberdeen, according to a transcript of his speech published on the OGA’s website.
The oil and gas industry must “act much, much faster and go farther in reducing the carbon footprint” he said, adding: “This requires ambitious thinking, capital investment and bold leadership. Action not just talk or more analysis.”
Failing to do so would have dire consequences for the oil and gas sector, Eggar warned, saying the industry’s very survival is at stake.
“The licence to operate for the industry has changed fundamentally and – unlike the oil price – forever,” he said. “If the industry wants to survive and contribute to the energy transition it has to adapt,” he stressed.
Short-term action: Methane and CCS
The European Union took the lead in the fight against global warming last month when leaders agreed an objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050.
Climate change “is an existential issue for Europe – and for the world,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, as she unveiled a European Green Deal last month aimed at turning Europe into the world’s first “climate neutral” continent.
But as EU policymakers wax lyrical about their climate ambition, attention is rapidly shifting to implementation. And the oil and gas sector’s plans are currently insufficient, Eggar suggested, listing some short-term actions that the industry could take ahead of the UN climate summit in Scotland later this year.
This includes committing to “clear measurable greenhouse gas targets, with real progress on methane,” and showing “real progress” on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, Eggar said.
“How about serious work having started on at least two – and ideally more – major projects for starters?” he suggested in reference to CCS.
