SCOTTISH Labour minister Michael Shanks has been accused of blanking climate campaigners who pleaded with him to pull out of an oil and gas conference featuring major polluters.
Shanks, a minister in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), will speak at the Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) conference in Aberdeen on Tuesday, which will feature major fossil fuel giants.
His involvement with the event was branded “tantamount to condoning the immense suffering” of people bearing the brunt of the climate emergency, including the victims of floods and drought.
Campaigners said that a letter, signed by 28 climate groups, was sent to the Energy Minister (below) on Friday but that they had received no response.
They have argued his keynote speech at the event is incompatible with Labour’s commitments to tackle climate change.
Lewis Coenen-Rowe from Fossil Free Parliament said: “Members of Parliament – particularly ministers – should not engage with the fossil fuel industry or its representatives at events like this, where the industry lobby is in complete control of the narrative and the agenda.
“Attendance only strengthens the industry’s social licence to operate and emboldens the industry’s sustained disinformation campaign about its role in the energy transition.
“While some engagement with the fossil fuel industry is necessary to bring about a just, rapid and equitable transition – it has to stop taking place on the industry’s terms.”
Campaigners have also raised concerns about OEUK's call earlier this month for Labour to ditch its plans to strengthen the windfall tax on oil and gas giants.
They pointed out that companies involved were part of a list of just 57 companies responsible for 80% of the world’s global fossil CO2 emissions since 2016, including principal sponsor BP.
They also hit out at TotalEnergies – the sponsor of the events “sustainability session” – was ploughing ahead with plans to construct the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a nearly 1445 kilometres pipe stretching from Uganda to Tanzania.
Campaigners have raised concerns the project will displace thousands of people from their lands and said it would produce 379 million tonnes of emissions if completed.
TotalEnergies defended the project in a statement, saying the countries in question “rely on the revenues generated from oil production to support their national development”.
A spokesperson added: “Preventing them from using their own resources would essentially block access to development for those most in need locally.”
Meanwhile, Cathy Allen from the Stop EACOP campaign in Edinburgh said: “Speaking at a conference run by oil and gas giants Total and BP, is tantamount to condoning the immense suffering of those affected by projects like the EACOP and gas flaring in Iraq as well as the pain of millions who have the flooding, landslides, drought, famine and displacement of climate change thrust upon them by reckless profiteering companies like TotalEnergies and BP.
“Such ministers do not have a mandate to associate their citizens with such staggering injustice and their participation is therefore inappropriate and unacceptable.”
Speaking in Parliament in July, Shanks admitted the world was “way off track” in the attempt to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees.
Tyrone Scott of the group War on Want added: “It is unacceptable that at a time when we should be focussing all of our efforts on securing a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, we have a Member of Parliament due to give a keynote address to fossil fuel lobbyists.”
Mark Wilson, the director of health, safety, environment and operations at OEUK, said: “OEUK represents a sector that plays a major role in the UK’s economy, energy security and the transition to a low carbon future.”
He said a recent report by the organisation showed that UK oil and gas firms had reduced their emissions by 28% since 2018.
Wilson added: “There is more to do and as we all work towards net zero, OEUK is proud to champion our offshore energy industry and its world class supply chain.
“Our conference brings together people from across the sector and across the country to discuss how we deliver a homegrown energy transition.”
A DESNZ spokesperson said: “Government Ministers have a duty to meet with all industries they are responsible for.
“The oil and gas industry will play an important role for decades to come.
“As we secure our clean energy future, we will work with the sector to protect current and future generations of good jobs, ensuring a prosperous transition.”
