Meeting notes have revealed how the UK's unbiased oil and gasoline regulator is outwardly serving to the fossil gasoline trade assemble a brand new public "narrative" to "effectively make the case for continued North Sea oil and gas".
The minutes have been printed on the web site of the regulator, which is called the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).
They element the content material of a North Sea Transition Steering group assembly on 9 May 2023 - a daily occasion presently co-chaired by NSTA chief Stuart Payne and Simon Roddy, who runs Shell UK's North Sea enterprise.
Executives from different fossil gasoline corporations and representatives from Offshore Energies UK, the trade foyer group, have been additionally in attendance.
In a bit headlined "Oil and Gas narrative" the minutes present that the group "would like to develop three to five key messages that are coherent and consistent, to effectively make the case for continued North Sea oil and gas".
The group agrees on the necessity for "simple positive messages e.g, 'In 2022 UK spent more on importing oil and gas than on Education', 'home grown is better'" and that "the industry needs to be more vocal and amplify the key messages".
Those messages, in accordance with the assembly notes, want "to be factual, defendable, and logical and industry needs to be aligned to these".
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According to its web site, the aim of the North Sea Transition Steering Group is to "discuss and review key strategic issues affecting the oil and gas industry", which might arguably embrace public messaging.
But campaigners have informed Sky News that the minutes are proof of an inappropriately "cosy" relationship between the regulator and fossil gasoline corporations.
Executive director of marketing campaign group Uplift, Tessa Khan, stated: "It is the NSTA's job to make unbiased, evidence-based selections on whether or not or to not approve new oil and gasoline fields but, astonishingly, we discover it has been colluding with trade lobbyists on methods to finest make the case for brand new drilling.
"How can the public be expected to trust its decisions if, at the same time, it's helping oil and gas firms with their PR? The last thing the UK needs right now is yet more misleading spin on oil and gas.
"This casts doubt on how significantly the regulator is taking its position of serving to the UK meet its local weather obligations. The proposed Rosebank oil area, for instance, is incompatible with the regulator's personal local weather targets, however will the NSTA say 'no' to an trade it's clearly so cosy with?
"The UK urgently needs a regulator that is genuinely independent of the oil and gas industry."
The authorities is pursuing a coverage of increasing North Sea drilling whereas additionally ramping up the supply of fresh power and insists that its strategy is appropriate with the UK's legally enshrined web zero targets.
'Decarbonisation stays a precedence for the trade'
A NSTA spokesperson defended what occurred on the assembly, describing its position as a facilitator versus something extra in depth.
They informed Sky News: "The NSTA facilitates regular meetings where industry representatives discuss best practice which supports the UK's energy security and its net zero goals. This is entirely appropriate and in keeping with our responsibilities and does not affect our independence, which we take extremely seriously.
Read more:There's a lot of noise in the debate over North Sea oil and gas - but the numbers tell a different story | Ed Conway
"As made clear within the steering group minutes, which we routinely publish on our web site, decarbonisation stays a precedence for the trade. The NSTA is steadfastly holding the sector to account on emissions discount, with spectacular outcomes. Emissions from UK North Sea manufacturing actions have fallen by greater than a fifth since 2018, whereas flaring has been halved within the final 4 years."
An Offshore Energies UK spokesperson described the assembly as rather more of a collaboration.
They informed Sky News: "The offshore energies industry, government and the regulator are committed to driving the success of the sector together, an approach called for in the 2014 Wood Review. Many sectors work collaboratively with governments and regulators through steering groups to drive action on key challenges and opportunities for the UK."
A spokesperson for Shell informed Sky News: "Continued production of North Sea oil and gas is vital to UK energy security and helps reduce its reliance on higher carbon and costlier energy imports. It is entirely consistent with a net zero pathway as modelled by the UK's independent Climate Change Committee.
"After a long time of supplying oil and gasoline, output from the UK North Sea is tailing off and now meets lower than 50% of the UK's demand. It is necessary to cease it tailing off too steeply, whereas the transition to low-carbon power gathers tempo."
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