Open letter to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Download a copy of this letter here.

To:
Mr Boris Johnson, Prime Minister and 
Mr Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Dear Prime Minister and Secretary of State, 

We are calling on you and your government to stop development of the Cambo Oil Field, located west of the Shetland Islands. 

The climate impacts of opening this new oil field would be devastating. In the first phase alone, developers want to extract 170 million barrels of oil, the emissions from which are equivalent to running a coal power station for 16 years. That is just the beginning. The field is expected to operate until 2050 – the point by which your government has committed to reaching net zero emissions. 

In just a few months, the eyes of the world will turn to the UK as the hosts of the UN climate talks in Glasgow. Approving the Cambo Oil Field will send a clear message that this government is not serious about climate action and not willing to do its part to phase out support for oil and gas. 

The International Energy Agency has stated that to meet the 1.5°C target in the Paris Agreement, there should be no more development of new oil, gas, or coal. Further, the recent Climate Change Committee assessment clearly laid out that current UK policies are far from delivering the UK’s climate goals. The amount of oil and gas in fields already operating in the UK will exceed our share of emissions in relation to the Paris climate goals. The world cannot afford to open new fossil fuel frontiers.

We urge you to block plans for oil extraction in Cambo Oil Field and all new fossil fuel developments. It’s time to end your support for drilling every last drop of oil and gas and commit instead to a rapid and fair energy transition. With the right policy support, the UK could create 3 jobs in clean energy for every oil and gas job at risk. We need a clear, credible plan to wind down production and deliver a just transition that is driven by oil and gas workers, their unions and affected communities. 

This must start with saying no to Cambo.