British Chambers of Commerce and Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce have formed a taskforce to advise on the way forward for North Sea operations.
Following the publication of a White Paper at the Labour Party Conference in September, the North Sea Transition Taskforce was launched in November 2024 to review four key areas of work:
- Assessing the scale of the problem.
- Identifying which operations in the North Sea need to be managed.
- Evaluating the impact of the transition on the workforce.
- Exploring the governance arrangements being put in place to manage the transition.
You can read more on the Chamber website.
Led by former Permanent Secretary in the UK Government Philip Rycroft, the taskforce is now seeking input from businesses and individuals affected by present and future activities in the North Sea.
A questionnaire, which can be found here, aims to capture stakeholders' attitudes towards the existing policy landscape of the North Sea, and the challenges and opportunities surrounding its transition. It is open until February 28, 2025.
The report will also encompass input gathered from supply chain businesses, unions, environmental groups, and energy policy experts to deliver the widest possible consensus on the right way forward.
Shevaun Haviland, director general at the British Chamber of Commerce, has also taken up the role of the executive director of the taskforce which intends to publish its latest findings in Spring 2025.
Following a first meeting of the taskforce earlier this month, Philip Rycroft said: “This first meeting sets the foundation for an ambitious and inclusive agenda.
"Each member brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to help us ensure a just, fair and strategic transition for the North Sea.
“By working together, we aim to provide Government with the blueprint for stability for businesses, protect tens of thousands of skilled jobs, and guide the sector and its critical energy assets towards a sustainable future.”
Shevaun Haviland commented: "The taskforce was born from calls for action by industry leaders and workers alike.
"We are determined to find solutions that meet the challenges of net zero while safeguarding livelihoods and the UK’s energy security. This meeting has set the stage to develop a united approach from everyone involved to deliver a just transition.”
Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce added: “The highly concerning findings of recent editions of our bi-annual energy transition survey led the Chamber to warn of the increasing risk that the North Sea oil and gas industry could be prematurely wound down by myopic net zero rhetoric rather than as part of a strategic energy policy choice.
"To prevent this, we called for a new body, entirely independent of government, to set a new policy direction. But we didn’t just recommend doing so, we worked with colleagues across our UK network to make it happen. Please have your say.”
Any queries on the subject can be sent to info@northseatransition.co.uk.