Turning off tap does not aid climate efforts

We can – and we must – drive harder towards a clean energy future while making the most of the resources which we have

Two things can be true at the same time. The record-breaking heatwave we have seen across the UK and the increasing number of wildfires, including 19 homes being fully destroyed in Stourbridge this week, should serve as a wake-up call to all.

Climate change is real, and it is here. And we have to act and redouble efforts to transition towards a fossil-fuel free future.

It is also true, however, that our reliance on oil and gas is not going to suddenly stop overnight. The tap cannot be turned off, and the notion of producing less while importing more from overseas – with the associated increase in emissions – is foolhardy.

The fires this week have seen Andy Burnham face fresh calls to block new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea. Environmental campaigners claim extraction from the Rosebank oil field and Jackdaw gas field will pave the way for extreme heat in the years to come.

He must resist these demands.

Both projects are vital to our national interest and energy security. Opening up the North Sea for drilling to exploit what resources we have is, as we have said previously, a no-brainer.

This does not exclude the work which must happen at even greater pace to ensure Scotland’s renewables future. It must happen hand in hand, making use of the skills and infrastructure in the North-east of Scotland to achieve that ambition.

Recklessly turning off the tap does not aid our efforts to take action on the climate, it harms them.

This week has been an urgent reminder of the dangers of a changing climate. Mr Burnham is right to say “there’s no point denying where we are – we need to face up to it.

“We need more clean energy. We need to see that transition accelerate.”

The Scotsman agrees. However, this must not be used to hasten the decline of an industry which is so vital to Scotland, and the UK’s, economic interest and energy security.

Two things can be true. We can – and we must – drive harder towards a clean energy future while making the most of the resources which we have.