Britain's support for Arctic oil and gas inconsistent with climate goals – MPs

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain's support for Arctic oil and gas exploration is inconsistent with its international climate change commitments, a report by a group of lawmakers said on Thursday. representing several parties.

The Paris International Agreement aims to end the era of fossil fuels in the second half of the century in order to curb rising temperatures which, if left unchecked, should lead to life-threatening heat and sea level rise.

Britain should stop encouraging British companies to explore oil and gas opportunities in the Arctic and call on other countries to adopt a similar approach, said the report of the audit committee of the United Kingdom. l & # 39; environment.

"The government should begin by recognizing the incompatibility of its support for oil and gas development with its commitments to climate change," said Mary Creagh, Chair of the Audit Committee of the & # 39; s. 39 environment, in a statement released with the group's report.

The report indicates that the multi-year Arctic sea ice is at its lowest level since records began and that the Arctic Ocean could be free of ice in summer by 2050.

The report calls on the government to provide more funding for Arctic research, set targets for the protection of Arctic biodiversity, and set a timetable for reducing plastic pollution in the country.

The government should also lobby the International Maritime Organization to prohibit polluting heavy oil as much as possible and designate the Arctic as a special sensitive area.

Numerous oil and gas companies such as Equinor and ENI operate in the Arctic, while US President Donald Trump has lobbied for new oil and gas licenses to be available in the region.

The Foreign Office and the British Commonwealth Office (FCO), which represents Great Britain at the Arctic Council, said in April that despite the decarbonization measures, the world would probably depend on oil and gas for decades to come .

"To meet this demand, it will be necessary to explore new potential resources, with the Arctic and its important hydrocarbon reserves playing a major role," the report says.