Jackdaw is a climate catastrophe
Scottish Greens co-leader, Gillian Mackay MSP has submitted an emergency motion to her party’s Autumn conference in Inverness this weekend following the Prime Minister’s approval of drilling in the Jackdaw gas field.
The motion which will be heard on Saturday calls on the conference to reject the assertion that new oil and gas drilling will increase energy security, tackle high energy prices, or deliver the long term jobs plan Scotland's communities need.
It will set out a range of measures from Scottish Green MSPs to work in parliament to support meaningful cuts to energy bills.
Gillian said:
“It’s astonishing that Andy Burnham thinks he can get away with greenlighting a climate-wrecking gas field one day, and then the very next day warning about the consequences of climate breakdown.
“It is politicians like Andy Burnham who have led us down this track to a disastrous dependence on oil and gas.
"If MPs had listened to the science decades ago when the dire impact of oil and gas was first known about, then we could have transitioned away from fossil fuels to protect our planet, and the communities in the North East, Grangemouth and Fife who have relied on these jobs to survive.
“Approving Jackdaw isn’t going to cut energy bills, it isn’t going to create many new jobs, and it certainly won’t improve our energy security. Even approving a second drilling operation in Rosebank will leave our communities with sky-high energy bills, unsecure jobs in a sunsetting industry, and a climate emergency that threatens our future generations.
“We cannot let Andy Burnham and his colleagues get away with destroying our planet.
"My motion will reaffirm that the Scottish Greens will always stand up for communities abandoned by fossil fuel companies and to build a better future with thousands of jobs in renewables, to support our workers, and to power a fairer, greener Scotland.
“The Scottish Greens are the only voice left fighting to cut household energy bills, and to tackle the climate emergency. We will continue to stand up to the corporate fossil fuel lobbyists who are determined to profit from the exploitation of our communities and planet."
Motion title: Rejecting Jackdaw and calling for real action on energy prices
Preamble:
This week’s actions by the UK government require an immediate and renewed response across the climate movement, to reject this catastrophic roll back and reassert the action required to ensure a just transition away from fossil fuels. This motion asks Conference to endorse immediate actions for the MSP group to reaffirm our position on North Sea oil and gas, and pursue meaningful action to drive down energy costs this winter.
Text of motion:
The licensing of the Jackdaw gas field is an act of climate vandalism by the UK Government, which will accelerate climate breakdown whilst failing to deliver cheaper energy bills or long term, secure jobs for Scotland’s energy workers. Household energy bills are skyrocketing while shareholders and energy bosses are lining their pockets with profits from oil and gas exploration.
Conference rejects the assertion that new oil and gas drilling will increase energy security, tackle high energy prices, or deliver the long term jobs plan the sector needs.
Conference supports efforts by Scottish Greens MSP group to urgently take actions that would support meaningful cuts to energy bills, including;
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Advancing proposals to introduce a social tariff for energy and the devolution of oil and gas licensing
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Calling on the UK Government to scrap standing charges which disproportionately hit the poorest households
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Pressing the UK Government to replace the current Windfall Tax with a proper, permanent tax on oil and gas profits, to fund these measures, along with new investment in renewables, and a rapid expansion of our transition to clean, green heating
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Pressing the Scottish Government to take a clear stand against the Rosebank oil field and recommit to the presumption against new oil and gas in their upcoming energy strategy.