U.K. government says oil and gas fields align with net-zero plans

(Bloomberg) — Half a dozen oil and gas field developments awaiting regulatory approval have already been factored into the U.K.’s long-term plans for carbon neutrality, the minister responsible for the sector said.

Energy Minister Greg Hands faced questions in parliament on Wednesday after a Daily Telegraph report earlier in the week said the developments would receive government approval this year.

“These are not new fields,” he said. “That has already been taken into account for example, into our net zero strategy and also for our carbon budgets.”

Hands was pushing back against the suggestion by environmental groups and opposition politicians that extraction of fossil fuels from the proposed projects would put at risk a U.K. commitment to reach so-called net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

In a win for environmentalists, Shell Plc pulled out of the controversial Cambo oil field in December with its chief executive saying it no longer made “sense to allocate money there.”

The Telegraph said the Rosebank, Jackdaw, Marigold, Catcher, Brodick and Tolmount East developments are expected to be approved by the U.K. regulator this year. Shell-operated Jackdaw failed to receive environmental approval last year, but it said in October it was continuing to work with the country’s regulator to develop the field.

While the six developments have already been licensed, they still need to undergo further processes to receive final consent, Hands said.