‘Stop hiding behind Boris Johnson’: Nicola Sturgeon faces wrath of green campaigners as she demands PM make a decision on licence for controversial new Shetland oilfield (but refuses to say if she wants it scrapped)

• First Minister urged PM to ‘reassess’ the licence for the proposed Cambo oilfield 
•  Project estimated will produce 132 million tonnes of carbon during its lifetime
•  Sturgeon did not say if she wants the scheme to be blocked over climate fears
• Greenpeace: ‘The First Minister must stop hiding behind Boris Johnson’

Nicola Sturgeon was accused of hiding behind Boris Johnson by green campaigners  today as she demanded the Prime Minister decide whether a controversial new Scottish oilfield can be drilled.

The First Minister urged him to ‘reassess’ the licence for the proposed Cambo operation near Shetland in her first public intervention on the controversial issue.

But she declined to categorically say whether she wanted the plans, which have been in the pipeline for two decades, scrapped on environmental grounds. 

The Scottish Government is under pressure to oppose the development of Cambo, which is estimated will produce 132 million tonnes of carbon during its lifetime – a figure that would need a land mass 1.5 times bigger than Scotland to counter.

Calls to oppose the development intensified after the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on Monday, painting a stark picture of the impact of humanity on the climate due to the burning of fossil fuels.

However today, in a letter to the PM, Ms Sturgeon asked for a summit of the devolved nations ahead of Cop26 in Glasgow in November, and for UK Government officials to ‘provide clear leadership’ before then.

Greenpeace UK slammed the First Minister, with campaigner Sam Chetan-Welsh saying:  ‘Nicola Sturgeon is deferring to Boris Johnson to check the climate impact of Cambo, but until she makes her own stance clear this is just a PR exercise.

‘The experts couldn’t be clearer- humanity is at ”code red”, and the last thing we can afford is a new oilfield which would pump out the equivalent emissions of 18 coal-fired power stations running for a year.

‘The First Minister must stop hiding behind Boris Johnson. If she wants to show leadership on climate she must clearly say: stop Cambo.’ 

The First Minister urged Mr Johnson to ‘reassess’ the licence for the proposed Cambo oilfield near Shetland in her first public intervention on the controversial issue.

The Scottish Government is under pressure to oppose the development of Cambo, which is estimated will produce 132 million tonnes of carbon during its lifetime – a figure that would need a land mass 1.5 times bigger than Scotland to counter

Greenpeace UK slammed the First Minister, with campaigner Sam Chetan-Welsh saying: ‘Nicola Sturgeon is deferring to Boris Johnson to check the climate impact of Cambo, but until she makes her own stance clear this is just a PR exercise.’

According to the IPCC findings, global warming will continue into at least the middle of this century, but failure to take action to limit CO2 emissions now would mean the target set by governments – of remaining below 1.5C of warming – will be missed.

But In her letter, the First Minister said: ‘We are both well aware of the importance of oil and gas over many decades – not least in terms of jobs – to the Scottish and UK economies.

‘We also understand that reducing reliance on domestic production of oil and gas, which we must do, without increasing imports – which would potentially increase emissions – depends on the development of alternatives.

‘However, the answer to these challenges – given the urgency of the climate emergency – cannot be business as usual. Instead, we must take decisions and make investments now to support – and accelerate -the development of these alternatives and thereby secure a just, but appropriately rapid, transition for the oil and gas industry, and the workers and communities currently reliant on it.’

She added: ‘Indeed, I am asking that the UK Government now commits to significantly enhancing the climate conditionality associated with offshore oil and gas production.

‘Additionally, however, I am also asking that the UK Government agrees to reassess licences already issued but where field development has not yet commenced.

‘That would include the proposed Cambo development.’

The First Minister continued: ‘Such licences, some of them issued many years ago, should be reassessed in light of the severity of the climate emergency we now face, and against a compatibility checkpoint that is fully aligned with our climate change targets and obligations.’

While not a full-throated opposition to Cambo going ahead, the First Minister’s intervention is her first on the issue.

She also pushed for the ‘knowledge and experience’ of the oil and gas sector, along with its supply chain, to be harnessed in the creation of more renewable opportunities. 

 Scottish Labour net-zero spokeswoman, Monica Lennon, who this week pressed the First Minister to come out against Cambo, said: ‘Scottish Labour has been urging Nicola Sturgeon to get off the fence and oppose the Cambo oilfield plans in the face of climate catastrophe.

‘In the wake of growing pressure from grassroots campaigners, she has taken a baby step towards having a position. Now is not the time to reassess.

‘It’s time for Nicola Sturgeon to firmly and loudly oppose Cambo, once and for all.’

While Scottish Green environment spokesman, Mark Ruskell, said: ‘It is welcome to see the Scottish Government start to come off the fence when it comes to the Cambo oilfield, but it is clear there are still far too many hopes pinned on the oil and gas industry to get us out of the climate emergency.

‘The IPCC report is very clear that we cannot wait for the development of new technologies, we must listen to the UN Secretary General and stop fossil fuel expansion entirely.

‘That means revoking Cambo and no new oil and gas licences whatsoever, with a just transition ensuring no worker is left behind.’

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