The UK government has signed off on a natural gas project off the coast of Scotland, as the Labour administration tries to reconcile its climate ambitions with worries about energy security.
Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said on Wednesday that gas from the Jackdaw field should start reaching British households before the month is out. She said the project would also strengthen the country’s energy security. Officials said the North Sea development would lift UK gas output by roughly 6 percent at its highest point.
Government defends Jackdaw approval on jobs and supply
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the decision will “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm”. He stressed that it would not get in the way of the government’s renewable energy targets.
Alongside the approval, ministers announced a New Energy Wealth Fund to back renewable and low-carbon schemes as part of the green transition. The fund has been set up with an initial 2 billion pounds ($2.7bn), and the government plans to add money from tax revenues generated by North Sea oil and gas.
The move comes as higher energy prices, linked to the Russia-Ukraine war and the United States-Israel war on Iran, have strained households and businesses and weighed on Britain’s economy.
Fahnbulleh concedes Jackdaw will not cut household bills
Speaking to LBC radio, Fahnbulleh acknowledged that the Jackdaw development would not bring down household energy bills. “I think it’s really important that we’re honest about this,” Fahnbulleh said.
She added: “That was not a consideration in the decision because it won’t mean cheaper bills. This was about energy security.”
Green Party and Greenpeace condemn the gas decision
The announcement drew criticism from left-wing politicians and environmental groups. Zack Polanski, leader of the opposition Green Party, described the decision as “climate vandalism”. Writing on X, he called it “surreal” to hear the energy secretary describe the move as a “pragmatic decision”.
Polanski said the project would do nothing to lower bills, would benefit oil and gas company profits and would push the country further toward floods and wildfires. Greenpeace said the decision showed “the toxic grip fossil fuel lobbyists still hold over our energy policy”.
Ami McCarthy, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, argued that true pragmatism meant ending reliance on expensive oil and gas. She said that reliance leaves households broke, fuels extreme weather and puts energy security at the mercy of petrostates.
