Eagle welcomes transition plans for North Sea oil industry
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PLANS for the future of the UK's energy system and the transition away from reliance on oil and gas have been welcomed by the Conservative candidate for Moray at the Holyrood elections.
Building on the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Energy White Paper sets out specific steps the UK government will take over the next decade to cut emissions from industry, transport, and buildings by 230 million metric tonnes – equivalent to taking 7.5 million petrol cars off the road permanently – while supporting hundreds of thousands of new green jobs.
In the North Sea, the White Paper sets out a commitment to support North Sea oil and gas transition for the people and communities most affected by the move away from oil and gas production, ensuring that the expertise of the oil and gas sector be drawn on in developing carbon capture and storage and hydrogen production to provide new green jobs.
Buckie councillor Tim Eagle, who is the Tory candidate in Moray at next May's Scottish Parliament election, welcomed the plans.
He said: “I am delighted to see the UK Government committed to supporting the North Sea oil and gas transition.
"Moray has many people employed in the North Sea sector, it is a huge and important part of our economy."
"I know it is vital after such a difficult year to support jobs but I am also aware of UK targets around climate change.
"This commitment is about taking all the expertise in the oil and gas sector and utilising it to create jobs in areas like developing carbon capture and storage and hydrogen production.
"Anything to protect local jobs and find new industries to support the Moray economy is welcome news. This shows the strength of the Union to Moray and the wider north-east."
The White Paper seeks to establish a permanent shift away from a dependence on fossil fuels, towards cleaner energy sources that will put the country at the forefront of the global green industrial revolution. According to the document, this will include a major programme of investment and reform.
Alongside the Energy White Paper, the UK government has also confirmed that it is to enter negotiations with EDF in relation to the Sizewell C project in Suffolk as it considers options to enable investment in at least one nuclear power station by the end of this Parliament.