Professor calls UK 'minnow culprit' in climate change and makes case for Jackdaw licence
Professor John Underhill says the UK is a “minnow contributor” to climate change and should pour its resources into affecting change overseas
A prominent climate academic has said the UK must must allow domestic oil and gas production.
Professor John Underhill called the country a “minnow culprit” in climate change and said focus should now shift to influencing high emitting countries.
Prof Underhill, who is Director for Energy Transition at the University of Aberdeen, says the UK government must allow production at Jackdaw gas field.
A decision on the future of the North Sea site was expected next week but reports suggest it will be delayed until after the October Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Writing in Scotland on Sunday, Prof Underhill said: “The reality is the UK is now a minnow culprit in climate change.
“That does not mean stopping our climate leadership either by influencing high emitter countries or reducing our oil and gas demand, but we should also allow domestic production rather than replacing it with imports that carry a higher carbon intensity while we still have such a need for oil and gas.”
Although the UK only accounts for one per cent of global emissions it continues to have a high dependency on oil and gas to meet around three quarters of total energy needs.
Prof Underhill said a country’s total emissions can be reduced by importing products since only those from domestic sources apply.
He said: “In other words, we can decarbonise by de-industrialising yet still import the products we use that carry a higher carbon intensity, something that is actually worse for the global climate.”
He said the country must “face up to the fact that the transformation will take time and be very costly”.
Allowing Jackdaw would've says, recognise its contribution to energy security for homes and an electricity system that is reliant on gas.
He said: “Its approval would protect jobs, raise tax revenues that could be used for welfare, defence or tackle the cost-of-living crisis, improve our balance of payments, and not draw upon our very limited gas storage.”
Patrick Harvie, Scottish Greens MSP, called the professor’s comments “irresponsible”.
He said: “Professor Underhill is right to highlight the difference between our domestic emissions and those that result from the goods we import and consume.
“The UK’s emissions of both kinds have declined, but we absolutely need to accelerate that progress.
“To call the UK a “minnow culprit” is irresponsible, especially at a time when there’s a reboot of climate denial taking place in our politics and much of the media.”
Describing the actions of the UK so far to cut emissions as “low-hanging fruit”, Mr Harvie added:
“The world is seeing the growing intensity of climate chaos, and we need to continue to cut emissions with urgency.
“Net zero isn’t a whim, it’s a necessity, and it’s one which will reap huge benefits for our economy too.
“Professor Underhill is also right to point out that this country currently has a very high dependency on fossil fuel.
“That’s what has landed us all with high energy bills, and it’s the reason why households have to pay artificially high prices even for clean, green electricity that’s cheap to generate.
“The solution isn’t to press ahead with unnecessary projects like Jackdaw, which would only cut gas imports by two per cent and would do nothing to cut bills.”
Prof Underhill has led the GeoNetZero Centre of Doctoral Training, a £22 million academic-industry pan-UK partnership.
He was President of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, was on the Scottish Science Advisory Council, populates the UK Subsurface Task Force, and chairs the National Energy Skills Accelerator.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.