Green Goals or Fossil Fuel Frenzy? Unpacking the UK’s Energy Future
In the wake of the Prime Minister’s recent announcement granting numerous new oil and gas licenses, the UK’s post-Brexit energy governance has come under intense scrutiny. This development follows our “green day” blog series in April, which aimed to shed light on the trajectory of the conservative government’s energy policies after Brexit. The UK’s journey towards sustainability and energy security has been marked by both promising steps and bewildering reversals. This blog post delves into the government’s post-Brexit energy policies, highlighting key policy shifts, their implications, and the overall direction the country seems to be taking.
A Look Back: A Rollercoaster of Policy Shifts
Boris Johnson was the Prime Minister when the UK officially left the EU in 2019 – a monumental shift that granted the nation greater autonomy in shaping its energy policies. In October 2021, he presented the ambitious “net zero strategy”, which aimed to decarbonise all sectors of the UK economy and achieve the net zero target by 2050. The strategy was aligned with the country’s hosting of COP26, a significant climate summit to address global environmental challenges. However, as the ongoing energy crisis began in 2022, Johnson’s approach appeared to waver. In his “British Energy Security Strategy”, he championed the development of “locally produced gas”, emphasising the need to leverage the oil and gas reserves in the North Sea.
Liz Truss’s brief tenure as Prime Minister continued the trend of mixed signals. Her “Energy Price Guarantee” involved the temporary suspension of green levies. In an unexpected move, Truss also lifted the ban on fracking in areas where there was local support. This decision faced significant backlash from environmentalists and communities concerned about the potential environmental consequences.
The current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, appeared to have brought a glimpse of hope to the green future when he took over office from Liz Truss. Upon assuming office, he took steps to integrate the country’s energy security concerns with the net-zero strategy by creating the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. This move was lauded as a positive step towards a more coordinated approach to energy governance. Sunak’s decision to reinstate the fracking ban demonstrated his willingness to address environmental concerns and prioritise sustainability.
The Green Day: A Flicker of Hope?
On 30th March 2023, the government marked the so-called “Green Day” by unveiling the “Powering up Britain” policy paper, outlining its vision to enhance energy security and accelerate the net-zero agenda. This move was seen as a promising step in the right direction. The policy paper comprised two crucial components: the Net Zero Growth Plan and the Energy Security Plan. The four core ambitions focused on energy security, consumer security, climate security, and economic security.
While the paper’s intentions were commendable, it fell short of expectations on various fronts. Mathew Lockwood highlighted the lack of significant new funding, the absence of measures to scale up energy efficiency retrofits and onshore wind energy, and a lack of clarity on cooperation with EU partners. A deeper look at the paper also shows that there was nothing “new” in the framework, but just the reiteration of existing commitments and initiatives. These shortcomings led many environmentalists to feel disillusioned, as the paper seemed to lack the scale and urgency needed to meet the climate crisis head-on.
Fossil Fuels Revisited: Implications and Consequences
On 31st July 2023, exactly four months after the “green day”, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his decision to grant hundreds of new oil and gas licenses. This stark reversal of direction clearly contradicts the government’s rhetoric on climate change commitments and meeting the net zero strategies. However, it does not come as a surprise, considering this government’s track record of wavering on environmental future. The move only affirms the “consistency of the Conservative government’s approach to climate action”, as Jeremy Moulton aptly highlighted in our Green Day series back in April.
The energy crisis has highlighted the complexity of balancing immediate energy needs with the imperative of transitioning to cleaner energy sources. However, the priorities of the Conservative government beg the question of whether short-term solutions are perpetuating the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels, thereby compromising its long-term sustainability goals. The shift away from renewable energy sources such as onshore wind hampers the growth of the green energy sector, missing the chance to create high-skilled jobs and green growth. In essence, by reverting to fossil fuels, the government risks stalling innovation and technological advancements in clean energy solutions.
One aspect of the government’s energy strategy that has come under scrutiny is its reliance on carbon capture technology. This technology has been touted as a potential solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use since the early 2000s. However, the effectiveness of large-scale carbon capture projects remains unproven. As a result, some critics argue that the focus on carbon capture technology is a mere smokescreen to divert attention from the lack of significant progress in transitioning to renewable energy sources. Instead of prioritising the development of renewable energy infrastructure and supporting sustainable alternatives, the government’s approach appears to rely on unproven technologies to justify continued reliance on fossil fuels.
Furthermore, the UK’s current trajectory seems to diverge from the EU’s push for cleaner energy sources and a transition away from carbon-intensive practices. While the UK was bound by EU regulations in the past, Brexit offered newfound autonomy in shaping domestic energy policies. The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) includes a non-regression clause that aims to prevent the backsliding of environmental standards and policies. However, the TCA allows both parties to set their environmental policies and standards as long as they do not regress from the levels of protection provided at the end of the transition period. Thus, the issuance of licenses may not necessarily violate the non-regression clause, but it raises concerns about future collaboration with the EU in the fight against climate change.
Final Thoughts
The journey towards a sustainable and secure energy future for the UK has been a rollercoaster ride, marked by policy shifts, contradictions, and a mix of promising steps and perplexing reversals. The post-Brexit energy governance has faced intense scrutiny, particularly in light of recent developments such as the granting of new oil and gas licenses. As we reflect on the trajectory of the UK’s energy policies, it becomes clear that the nation’s pursuit of green goals has been entangled in a fossil fuel frenzy.
For a nation that once took a leadership role in the fight against climate change, it is essential to recalibrate energy policies to ensure a sustainable and low-carbon future. The decisions made in the coming years will not only shape the nation’s energy security and economic prospects but will also reverberate on the global stage, contributing to or hindering the collective efforts to combat climate change. The world watches as the UK grapples with the delicate balance between green goals and a potential fossil fuel frenzy.
