Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to publicly oppose the proposed Cambo oil field near Shetland amid growing calls for the Scottish Government to stand against further oil and gas developments.
So far the first minister has stopped short of unequivocally condemning the proposed development, despite being confronted by protesters while visiting the Govanhill Carnival in her Glasgow Southside constituency on Saturday.
The final decision on the oil field will rest with the UK Government but if given the greenlight, Cambo could yield as many as 255 million barrels of oil over its lifetime – and produce an estimated 132 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Scottish Labour’s net zero spokeswoman Monica Lennon has written to Ms Sturgeon urging her to publicly oppose the development after a landmark UN report found it was “unequivocal” human activity is responsible for global warming.
The report, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the UN group on the science of climate change – warns climate change is already causing chaos in some areas and may take hundreds or even thousands of years to reverse.
A death knell for fossil fuels
Speaking less than three months before the UK hosts the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the report “must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels before they destroy our planet”.
In her letter to the first minister, Ms Lennon writes: “Despite the lack of leadership from ministers in the UK and Scottish governments, the people-powered Stop Cambo campaign is gaining momentum.
“This is thanks to the courage and passion of citizens across Scotland and beyond. They deserve to know that our political leaders understand the science and are paying attention.
“First Minister, they need you to use your voice and influence to oppose Cambo. Workers and communities need to see that the Scottish Government is actively working to deliver a just transition to a green economy and has a credible energy plan.
“For the sake of our planet, I am asking the Scottish Government to join with Scottish Labour and campaigners in opposing the Cambo oil field. Please advise when you will be making your position on Cambo known to the public.”
‘Get off the fence’
Ms Lennon said the first minister must “get off the fence” because the fate of our planet and future generations “depends on the actions of our governments today”.
“Hiding behind Boris Johnson isn’t an option,” she stressed. “With the eyes of the world on Scotland as COP26 nears, it’s embarrassing that SNP and Tory ministers are not doing all they can to avert climate catastrophe.”
Ms Sturgeon was accused of letting “big corporations profit from dirty energy” as she was confronted by campaigners against the oil field this weekend.
WATCH: We and @StopCambo just challenged @theSNP leader @NicolaSturgeon on her refusal to stop the Cambo North Sea oil field.
Big corporations profit from dirty energy and politicians like Nicola Sturgeon let them get away with it.
We’re here to put a stop to that. ✊ pic.twitter.com/Q3ilmhkA3C
— Green New Deal Rising (@GNDRising) August 7, 2021
She told them: “Look, I’m not going to stand here – it’s not an issue for the Scottish Government. We are thinking about all of these things, we are trying to come to the right decision. There’s no doubt we should be moving away.
“So there are hard questions to ask about whether things like that are commensurate and I totally get that.
“There are tough things for all of us to address and make decisions on.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are wholly committed to becoming a net-zero economy by 2045 and, whilst this is ultimately a reserved area, any Scottish Government support for oil and gas businesses operating in the North Sea is conditional upon them contributing to a sustainable and inclusive energy transition, and ensuring a secure energy supply.”
Under the spotlight
The plans for Cambo have come under the spotlight in recent weeks, with high profile politicians weighing in on the project.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer voiced his opposition to the development, saying it is not consistent with climate targets, leading to Conservative voices saying he had “abandoned” Aberdeen and the North East.
More than 80,000 people have signed a petition calling for the development to be blocked but Boris Johnson said the government “can’t just tear up contracts” in relation to the oil field project.
Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden said last week that “symbolic” bans on oil and gas development would not help the UK tackle climate change.
He told journalists: “As long as the UK still needs oil and gas in its consumption, for its society, it’s better to produced it in its own backyard. It’s better for the climate and it’s better for the balance of payments.
“To just import oil and gas, which would be the alternative, from around the world would obviously not serve the climate at all.”
