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Boris Johnson’s government wants “every last drop” of oil and gas to be extracted from the North Sea, cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested.Amid calls for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, the senior Conservative figure claimed the fossil fuel giants’ profits had to be protected “so they get every last drop” out of the North Sea.“We want to get more oil out of the North Sea, we want to get more gas out of the North Sea,” Mr Rees-Mogg told LBC. “We need to be thinking about extracting every last cubic inch of gas from the North Sea.”The minister for Brexit opportunities dismissed climate campaigners’ warnings that a renewed push for fossil fuels would ruin the UK’s chances of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.“2050 is a long way off,” Mr Rees-Mogg said. “We’re not trying to become net zero tomorrow. We’re going to need fossil fuels in the interim. We should ours that we have got available.”No 10 confirmed that Boris Johnson’s “energy security strategy” will finally be published on Thursday. The Independent understands that the government will confirm its backing for a new round of North Sea exploration licences.The prime minister has said he wants to “remove barriers” to increased North Sea fossil fuel production following the spike in energy prices and the desire to end reliance on Russian gas.Separately, six North Sea projects are expected to be given approval by the oil and gas regulator. But climate campaigners have warned that plans to approve new drilling sites will “blow” the UK’s net zero climate target.The Uplift told The Independent last month that extracting and burning all the oil and gas from six sites awaiting approval would produce a total 205 million tonnes of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of almost half the UK’s yearly total emissions.Resisting Labour, Lib Dem and Green party calls for a windfall tax on oil and gas, the government has claimed that allowing the firms to keep record profits will help them invest more in renewable energy.However, Mr Rees-Mogg suggested the firms had to be protected so they could invest more in fossil fuel drilling. “Bear in mind they are very heavily taxed already,” he told LBC.He added: “If they don’t get these profits in the future … [it] will make the marginal, new wells less attractive – so they will pull out of the investment. They won’t necessarily even look for the existing fossil fuels.”Asked about Mr Rees-Mogg’s “every last drop from the North Sea” comments, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Certainly it’s right that domestic-produced oil and gas will play an important part of the transition to net zero.”The government’s energy plans have been repeatedly delayed as ministers are divided on the possible end of the fracking ban and a shift to more onshore wind turbines.Mr Johnson is expected to bow to pressure from Tory MPs to block new onshore wind farms, with No 10 indicating that strict planning constraints would remain.Mr Rees-Mogg said he was “very much in favour of going nuclear” – claiming it was more consistent form of energy supply than wind power.The cabinet minister also described the idea of reopening shale gas fracking sites as “quite an interesting opportunity” – comparing the fracking threat to “a rock fall in a disused coal mine”.Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK needs a proper energy strategy from the government rather than going “cap in hand” to dictators presiding over fossil fuel supply.Asked by broadcasters whether his shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds was right to say over the weekend that the country needed to prepare for energy rationing, Sir Keir said: “We don’t need energy rationing.”The Labour leader added: “We do need an energy strategy. And going from one dictator in Russia for your oil and gas, cap in hand to another dictator in Saudi Arabia is not an energy strategy.”“We need a strategy that is fast-forwarding on renewables and on nuclear, retrofitting so that we can actually keep our houses and our homes warmer … we don’t have it from this government,” said Sir Keir. More

Plans to approve six new North Sea drilling sites will “blow” the UK’s net zero climate target and generate the equivalent of 420 million barrels of oil if they go ahead, new analysis has revealed.Six North Sea oil and gas field projects are expected to be given approval to begin drilling as part of a government drive to ease soaring energy costs in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.The six identified sites of Jackdaw, Marigold, Brodick, Rosebank, Catcher and Tolmount East can produce a total of around 421 million barrels of oil equivalent, according to new figures by the Uplift climate campaign group, based on Rystad Energy data.Uplift told The Independent that extracting and burning all the oil and gas from these six sites would produce a total 205 million tonnes of CO2 emissions – the equivalent of almost half the UK’s yearly total emissions.Tessa Khan, director of Uplift, said the expansion of fossil fuel production on that scale would destroy any chance the government has of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.“If the government fast-tracks these fields for drilling, it will blow the UK’s net zero climate targets,” she said.“The government is already off-track for meeting those targets, and yet it’s choosing to make the situation much worse by opening up new fossil fuel developments.”The Independent understands that the government will confirm its backing for a new round of North Sea exploration licences – which allow companies to bid for certain areas beyond the six fields – when its “energy security strategy” is set out in the coming days.Boris Johnson has said he wants to “remove barriers” to increased North Sea oil and gas production following the spike in energy prices and the desire to end reliance on Russian gas.The PM claimed that using Britain’s “hydrocarbon resources” would not undermine the net zero target – but opposition parties said the new focus on fossil fuels in the North Sea “flies in the face” of the 2050 commitment.Ministers are also keen to see the fast-tracking of final permits at six North Sea sites which already have licences, The Independent understands. However, approval of the sites first reported on last month lies with the regulator North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).Extraction and consumption of oil and gas at the sites would produce a total 205 million tonnes of CO2 or equivalent emissions in the lifetime of the fields, Uplift has estimated. By comparison, the UK’s annual total greenhouse gas emissions is 405 million tonnes, according to the government.“There is almost no public gain from opening up these reserves – the vast majority of which is oil for export,” said Ms Khan. “The only winners are the oil and gas companies who have been whispering in the PM’s ear.”Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace, said that much of the oil and gas would be sold to countries overseas – but the emissions created by production alone would “make it harder” for the UK to reach net zero targets.“It undermines the UK’s attempt to provide leadership on net zero and keep us within 1.5C,” he said. “If we start to make an exception for the oil and gas industry, where does it end? There’s risk of the net zero commitment unravelling completely.”Over and above the six sites ready to be drilled, Treasury minister Simon Clarke has signalled the government’s backing for a new round of oil and gas exploration. “It’s our intention to unlock more production capacity in the North Sea,” he told the BBC’s Newsnight earlier this week.The NSTA has not be able to hold a licensing round since 2019. The government effectively put a moratorium on the process when it launched a review of whether current energy policies were compatible with climate goals.However, the Financial Times reported this week that the draft text for the “climate compatibility checkpoint” in the licensing process has been rewritten, and will allow the government to overlook climate concerns in the event of “urgent national security concerns”.Government plans to increase North Sea oil and gas production, says Simon ClarkeThe Liberal Democrats’ climate change spokesperson, Wera Hobhouse MP, said: “Fast-tracking fossil fuel extraction is plainly irresponsible and flies in the face of the government’s net zero commitments.”Ms Hobhouse added: “Every aspect of how we live needs to be sense-checked in light of the climate emergency, and that obviously includes new oil and gas exploration. The Conservative government are threatening our future.”Green MP Caroline Lucas said the renewed focus on North Sea fossil fuels showed Mr Johnson had merely been “showboating” at the Cop26 conference.“The prime minister claimed it was ‘one minute to midnight’ in our fight against climate change,” she told The Independent. “Now we know that all he said at that critical conference was nothing but global showboating.”Ms Lucas added: “New North Sea oil and gas would lock us into millions of tonnes of emissions to take us well beyond our net zero targets, whilst also making absolutely no difference to household energy bills.”Greenpeace and other groups have poured scorn on the idea that a new push for oil and gas will ease immediate supply woes – pointing out that it has taken as long as 28 years between initial exploration work and production in the North Sea.“The blind rush to boost oil and gas production … it’s not going to help with the current situation,” said Mr Parr. “The government may say it helps with energy security in the long-term. But in the long-term we need to eliminate fossil fuels.”However, energy industry chiefs have suggested that some exploratory sites could be ready to produce oil and gas relatively quickly.Andy Samuel, chief executive of the NSTA regulator, has said he believed the body would be able to resume with exploration licences “this year”. He also said that some sites have oil and gas discoveries which are “pretty much ready to go”.Mr Johnson has indicated he also wants to boost Britain’s supply of both renewables and nuclear energy as part of the forthcoming “energy security strategy” he promised to deliver this month.Business and energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng sparked a cabinet row after he revealed that the government was thinking about bringing the current moratorium on new onshore wind farms to an end.Mr Johnson has reportedly been warned by ministers of a mass rebellion among Tory MPs if he allows fresh onshore wind farm construction. One told The Times: “I don’t want it. My constituents don’t want it … The last thing we need is another revolt from Tory MPs.”A government spokesperson said: “As part of our upcoming energy supply strategy, we are considering various options on how we can supercharge our renewable and nuclear energy capacity while supporting our North Sea oil and gas industry.“No decisions have yet been made. There will continue to be ongoing demand for oil and gas over the coming decades while we transition to low-carbon energy.” More

A properly “tuned” carbon tax could eradicate extreme poverty worldwide, lifting more than a billion people above the global poverty line, a report has found.Economists at the think-tank Autonomy say the charge on emissions could be used to pay a dividend to people around the world by taxing polluting activities while helping stop climate change.Under the grand proposals, 3.8 billion people worldwide would see their income increase by at least 10 per cent, bringing around a billion people over the conventional poverty lines of $3.2 and $5.5 a day.At a UK level the tax and divided scheme would benefit 70 per cent of the population, with the top 20 per cent effective contributors to the scheme. People would be charged more activities like burning fossil fuels or buying polluting products, but would also be given a regular income in the form of the dividend from the tax.Under the proposals, the costs of driving 1000km with an average petrol car would increase by £19, while the costs of a high-end smartphone would increase by around £8.70.But for most people these costs would be offset by the dividend payment they got out of the scheme, with only those biggest polluters paying more than they get out.Economists have long discussed a carbon tax as a means of getting people to change their behaviour, but the new analysis –based on World Bank Data – shows how it could also redistribute wealth if properly constructed.It is not clear how such a scheme could be introduced worldwide at the same time, but the authors of the report say time is running out to stop runaway climate change and that leaders need to get their act together.It is hoped that the scheme encourage people to make less polluting choices while maintaining their livelihoods, a problem with some approaches to climate action.Some UK right-wingers like Nigel Farage are campaigning against reaching net zero carbon, arguing that it will impose too many costs. Scientists say reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest is a requirement to avert catastrophic climate change in the coming decades. The UK’s Committee on Climate Change has said investment in green energy the best way to bring down bills and that new fossil fuel drilling will not help.Philipp Frey, co-author of the paper, said the dividend pay-out component was “crucial” so that the tax did not hit the poorest.“A carbon tax and dividend scheme would constitute a massive economic incentive towards greening the economy, driving out the consumption of carbon-intensive goods while maintaining livelihoods”, he said. “This report makes a compelling case for governments to look at taxing the rich to help save the planet from climate change and tackle poverty rather than making ordinary people pay for the climate crisis.“We don’t have long left to tackle climate change, so leaders across the world need to urgently look at proposals that tax carbon at consumption. The dividend component is crucial in order to maintain and improve livelihoods whilst we transition away from a carbon-centered society.” More

A Labour MP is to share a stage with Nigel Farage at the launch of a campaign against action on climate change.Graham Stringer, who also campaigned for Brexit with the former Ukip leader, is billed to appear at the launch of a campaign against reaching net zero.He will appear alongside other right-wing talking heads and media personalities such as Reform UK leader Richard Tice and the broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer.The MP for Blackley and Broughton has a history of climate denialism – in 2014 voting against accepting the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change conclusion that humans are the dominant cause of global warming.He is also a trustee of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, the UK’s most prominent organisation promoting climate change denialism.The planned appearance has angered party activists, but it has so far received a relatively sedate response from Labour’s leadership.Approached by The Independent, a Labour spokesperson refused to be drawn on whether Mr Stringer could face any sanction or lose the whip. In a statement, the spokesperson focused on Mr Farage’s views on the war in Ukraine: “The Labour Party unequivocally condemns Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and is unwavering in our support for the Ukrainian people, and we’ve been clear about our views on Labour MPs sharing platforms with those who don’t take that view,” the spokesperson said.Climate activists in the Labour Party contrasted Keir Starmer’s response with the strict treatment of left-wing MPs last month for stepping out of line on Ukraine. Aden Harris, a spokesperson for the Labour for a Green New Deal group said: “If there are two things which might define the Starmer leadership it’s failing to take climate change seriously and obsessively picking battles with the left of his own party.”He’s in real danger of displaying his commitment to both of these themes in one incident here: he’s taken heavy-handed action against left MPs who step one iota out of line, but is now silent on a Labour MP sharing a platform with far-right figures to espouse pro-apocalypse politics.“In 2019 and 2021 the Labour Party backed motions calling for a Green New Deal, involving a mass expansion of renewable energy. It’s time Starmer reminded his own MPs of this policy, one which enjoys widespread support across the party and across the country.”And Labour MP Diane Abbott said: “How come right-wing Labour MPs are allowed to share a platform with Farage, but left-wing MPs are not even allowed to sign an anti-war letter?”Mr Farage is using the event in Bolton next Saturday to launch a campaign for a referendum on the government’s net zero target.Some right-wingers inside and outside the Conservative party, sceptical of state intervention, are increasingly agitating to scrap the net zero policy – which scientists say is necessary to prevent global catastrophe.Mr Farage and others argue that arguing averting climate change will increase bills, butt the Committee on Climate Change has dismissed this arguments and says investment in green energy is in fact the best way to bring down bills – and that new fossil fuel drilling will not help.Scientists say reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest is a requirement to avert catastrophic climate change in the coming decades. More

New proposals for air pollution are too “weak” when people’s lives are at stake, the mother of a nine-year-old girl whose death was linked to toxic air has said. The mother of Ella Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the UK to have air pollution on their death certificate, told The Independent she was “incredibly disappointed” by the government’s plans to toughen up legal limits by 2040, saying this was too far in the future. “The whole thing about this is to save lives, so children won’t continue to die,” Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, now a clean air campaigner, said. Ella, who lived in Lewisham in south London, died nine years ago from an asthma attack. In 2020, a coroner ruled excessive exposure to air pollution contributed to her death in a landmark inquest. In spring last year, the coroner said the UK needed to bring its “far higher” threshold for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – a type of air pollutant – in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) to reduce the number of air pollution deaths.The government has now proposed matching these levels by 2040 in a consultation published on Wednesday.But speaking about this target, Ms Kissi-Debrah said: “It’s too weak.” More

Boris Johnson’s ministers are at risk of failing to deliver on their levelling up agenda and net zero target unless they “pick up the pace”, the government’s own infrastructure advisory body has warned.The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) said the government was making only “slow progress” with plans to boost investment in deprived parts of the country and shift Britain’s energy use to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.A highly-critical report by the commission said strategies over the last year in these crucial areas “lack detailed delivery policy, leave key gaps, or simply do not go far enough”.The commission’s report urged the government not to put off big decisions on how the net zero transition away from fossil fuels will be funded – saying delays were “holding up” vital investment.“Ultimately, that will either be taxpayers, consumers, or a combination of both. But ensuring the costs are distributed fairly is critical,” the NIC report stated.It added: “Delays to decisions on who pays are now holding up delivering infrastructure, including low carbon heat and energy efficiency. Open and honest conversations, followed by clear decisions, are needed to address this.”The commission urged the government to commit to ten key priorities for the year ahead – including the urgent need for a comprehensive energy efficiency push to insulate Britain’s homes, and accelerate the roll out of electric vehicle charging points.The experts also said it was vital to support more local authorities in developing plans for major urban transport schemes in a number of priority cities – including plans to develop a mass transit system for West Yorkshire.Commission chair Sir John Armitt said: “At a time of significant global volatility alongside concerns about rising living costs, we appreciate that sticking to a long term strategy is not easy.”Sir John added: “But it is the only way to address the stubbornly difficult problems that will not become any easier or cheaper to solve by delaying action – and the quicker we tackle them, the quicker society and our environment will reap the benefits.”Mr Johnson has promised to set out an “energy supply strategy” this month, as dependence on oil and gas comes under growing scrutiny during the Ukraine crisis and sanctions imposed on Russia.The prime minister is reportedly set to announce plans for new drilling in the North Sea for the first time in three years amid rising energy prices after the Russian invasion.Some Conservative MPs are pushing the PM for a rethink on the “new religion” of the net zero target, but Labour has urged Mr Johnson to commit to a faster transition to renewable energy.Last month cabinet minister Michael Gove outlined the government flagship levelling up policy’s 12 missions, which range from skills to transport and lay out how small amounts of cash have been given to different areas.Opposition parties and council chiefs criticised a lack of detailed funding commitments, clear timelines and new powers for local leaders in the levelling up white paper.The NIC review did give the government credit for its £100bn pledge to infrastructure plans over the next three years, alongside a commitment of increased spending in the long term. More

Nigel Farage’s new campaign group has accused a League One football club of a “Moscow-style rebuke to free speech” after it declined to host one of its rallies.The former Brexit Party leader is campaigning against climate action and was hoping to host a political event at a Bolton hotel owned by the club.But a statement issued by the Trotters on Monday said the rally was “not something the club and business wish to be associated with” and that it would be cancelled.Mr Farage’s group, called Vote Power Not Poverty, said in a statement on Tuesday that it was now seeking an alternative venue. “This morning we were made aware that the owners of Bolton Wanderers Football Club and the Bolton Whites Hotel had reneged on our contract to hold the first ‘Vote Power Not Povery’ Rally,” it said.”In a Moscow style-rebuke to free speech, this decision is an attempt to stifle a much needed debate on the expensive consequences of the government’s net zero plans, when there are better solutions.”The group said the decision was “difficult to understand” and claimed “wealthy owners of football clubs may not care about ordinary people”.The concluded: “We remain grateful for the incredible support we’re getting from all parts of our great country.”A statement issued by Bolton Wanderers said: “A ‘Vote Power Not Poverty’ Rally scheduled for later this month at the Bolton Whites Hotel will not be happening.“The event has been cancelled by BWFC and is not something the club and business wish to be associated with.”Some British right-wingers have started to organise against the government’s commitment to reaching net zero carbon, arguing that averting climate change will increase bills.But the Committee on Climate Change has dismissed this arguments and says investment in green energy is in fact the best way to bring down bills – and that new fossil fuel drilling will not help.Scientists say reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest is a requirement to avert catastrophic climate change in the coming decades.In 2014 Mr Farage named Vladimir Putin as the leader he most admired, praising the Russian president’s skills as an “operator” and citing his “brilliant” handling of the civil war in Syria. More

Boris Johnson’s government has been urged to close the door on fracking forever, amid reports that Downing Street is considering a rethink on the controversial energy resource.Mr Johnson said the UK ban on Russian oil imports was an important “first step” to punish Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine – but he has thus far resisted Tory MPs’ calls to end the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing of gas in Britain.Ministers are considering handing over two Cuadrilla fracking sites in Lancashire to the Royal Geographical Society for research, rather than allow them to be concreted over as planned, according to reports.The prime minister has “opened the door” on the return to fracking by asking his ministers to explore whether it can help diversify the country’s energy supply, according to The Telegraph.Former cabinet minister Lord Frost – who has campaigned for the current fracking ban to be reversed – said it was a “sensible first step” from the government amid concerns over soaring energy costs from the crisis.Fellow ex-Tory minister Robert Jenrick said fracking could play a role in a “more pragmatic energy policy” – claiming it could ease soaring bills. “I personally was always a supporter of fracking … I think we should be revisiting that question,” he told BBC Newsnight.But green campaigners urged the government to resist pressure from Tory MPs and end dependence on all forms of gas.Greenpeace UK’s head of energy Rosie Rogers: “Trying to restart fracking now would only mean wasting more time when we have little. It will take many years to develop and if it ever gets produced, it will be sold to the highest bidder on the international market, with no impact on our energy bills.”She added: “UK government should work on an emergency plan to free our country from gas dependence. This would protect households from soaring bills, tackle the climate crisis and weaken Putin’s hand.”Jamie Peters, Friends of the Earth’s acting campaigns director, said: “Fracking is not the answer to the energy crisis, and would do little to slash soaring bills – as energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng acknowledged last week. It is polluting, disruptive and deeply unpopular across the country.”As recently as Monday, Downing Street had denied suggestions the fracking moratorium could be lifted in response to the Ukraine crisis.“It would take years of exploration and development before any quantities of shale gas could be extracted and wouldn’t have an impact on prices affecting Europe in the near future,” said a No 10 spokesperson.And energy minister Lord Callanan warned of “severe environmental problem” with shale gas production, adding that “Lancashire is not Texas”, being much more heavily populated.A moratorium was imposed on fracking in November 2019 after it caused two minor earthquakes in Lancashire.Last month, energy company Cuadrilla said the UK government’s Oil and Gas Authority had ordered the two shale wells in Lancashire to be filled and abandoned.Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the move to phase out Russian oil products by the end of the year will “ensure a smooth transition so that consumers will not be affected”.US president Joe Biden ordered a ban on Russian oil imports, while the EU was also expected to announce a phasing out.The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy department (BEIS) and No 10 are yet to comment on reports about a reconsideration of fracking policy. More