London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Sturgeon urged to commit to end oil and gas production in Scotland

Sturgeon urged to commit to end oil and gas production in Scotland

First minister says country could join Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance at lowest ‘friend’ tier of support
Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to take a tougher stance on phasing out oil and gas by signing up to a new global alliance that calls for an end date for oil drilling.

Scotland’s first minister signalled earlier this week that her government was hardening its position on oil and gas production by confirming she did not believe the new Cambo oilfield off Shetland should be licensed.

After months of pressure to take a more radical position on oil drilling, Sturgeon also confirmed her government could join a new coalition of oil- and gas-producing nations that has committed itself to phasing out oil and gas.

She said Scotland could join the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance but as a “friend”, the group’s lowest tier of support, instead of as a full or associate member. That tier does not commit signatories to set an end date for oil production.

Sturgeon said she had to act slowly to ensure a “just transition” to renewables for the 100,000 people estimated to be dependent on the oil and gas industry in Scotland.

“I do not think that we can go on extracting new oil and gas forever. That is why we have moved away from the policy of maximum economic recovery, and I do not think that we can continue to give the go-ahead to new oilfields, so I do not think that Cambo should get the green light,” she told MSPs.

Sturgeon is facing competing pressures over climate policies: her rejection of Cambo has led to fierce criticism from within the Scottish National party but her Scottish Green party allies in government are pressing her to take a more radical stance.

Mary Church, a senior climate campaigner with Friends of the Earth Scotland, said it was essential oil-producing nations committed to an end date, in part because it would give industry and the affected communities a clear date for which to plan.

She said Scotland had an obligation to show leadership, given its significance as an oil-producing country.

“Signing up to the alliance at the highest level would be a clear indication of this necessary new direction of travel for Scottish government energy policy, and an important next step after Cop26,” Church said.

“A failure to do so would be a failure to follow through on her government’s recent change of position to no longer support unlimited oil and gas extraction. When you’re in a hole, you have to stop digging. To meet the 1.5C goal, we need to keep all fossil fuels safe in the ground.”

The alliance was set up by Denmark and Costa Rica and has France, Ireland, Greenland and Wales, a devolved nation in the UK with fewer powers than Scotland, among its eight full members.

That top tier commits its members to ending all new oil production licences and leases, and to set an end date for oil production consistent with the Paris climate agreement’s quest to limit global heating to well under 2C.

Ireland, an ally of Sturgeon’s devolved government, relies on its own gas fields for 60% of its domestic supplies. Yet in February, the Irish cabinet, which includes Green party ministers, announced a ban on all new hydrocarbon exploration in Irish waters to force the country to focus on renewable energy and cut its carbon dioxide emissions.

Denmark, a small country with a similar population to Scotland that has 55 oil and gas platforms in the North Sea, announced in December 2020 it would no longer license new North Sea fields.

California, Portugal and New Zealand are signed up as second-tier associates as states that “have taken significant concrete steps” to reduce oil production, by removing domestic subsidies or ending financial backing for production overseas.

The “friend” tier commits its signatories to supporting a “socially just and equitable global transition” and the less onerous goals of “alignment” with the Paris agreement and a member’s own climate neutrality targets. So far only Italy has joined as a friend.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×