Many thanks for writing to me regarding the proposed Jackdaw Oilfield.
Scottish Labour are fully committed to reaching our climate targets by 2045 and to deal with this we will need a strategic, long-term plan to ensure we are investing in the most sustainable forms of energy, as well as utilising green energy sources that can be shifted to rapidly and affordably.
The war in Ukraine has strengthened calls to ensure security of supply, particularly of gas, however, this does not mean that future extraction in the North Sea should be simply given the green light without guarantees that it will be compatible with our net zero ambitions. As you have highlighted in your email, the Jackdaw oilfield has significant drawbacks, not only being a particularly polluting gas field with gas with unusually high CO2 content, but also requiring years of set up for only a short period of extraction.
Any further drilling in the North Sea must be balanced against achieving our climate targets, must bring jobs to our communities, and must be taxed appropriately. We do not believe Jackdaw currently meets these criteria.
Scottish Labour want to ensure that as we move away from fossil fuels, we have a jobs-first transition that means our highly skilled oil and gas workforce can pivot to being the highly skilled renewables workforce of the future. We have been campaigning for an Offshore Workers Passport that would enable people moving from industry to industry to carry over their qualifications and established our Energy Transition Commission which has been tasked with setting out how we can protect and create jobs, reduce bills and deliver security in our energy mix.
The Tory UK Government are behind Jackdaw for the wrong reasons, prioritising shareholder profit over local jobs and climate action.
Once again, thank you for writing to me regarding the Jackdaw oilfield.