Sir Alok Sharma moves an Amendment to the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill which would stop the invitation of new production application licences in the North Sea until there is a ban on the flaring and venting of methane by new offshore installations and prevents licensing rounds from 2030 if a wider ban on flaring and venting is not in place.
Sir Alok Sharma, who was President of COP26, outlines why he will vote against the Bill calling on the Government to heed the climate emergency wake up calls, expresses his doubts that the Bill will lower energy bills in the UK and raises concerns about the message it sends internationally. He calls on the Government to focus on delivering on its ambitious plans for expanding homegrown clean energy.
Sir Alok Sharma welcomes the COP28 agreement on transitioning away from fossil fuels but urges the Government to lead by example by reviewing its plan to issue new oil and gas licences, and the tax regime that gives significant subsidies to new oil and gas projects.
Intervening in a debate on the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, Sir Alok Sharma welcomes the end of the de-facto ban on onshore wind and asks when the Government will publish its response to the consultation so that people can really understand what are the likely community benefits should they support local onshore wind projects.
Speaking in a debate on the Second Reading of the Energy Bill, Sir Alok Sharma welcomes the key objectives of the Bill and asks the Secretary of State if the Government is backing the Lords amendments, particularly the one relating to a net zero duty for Ofgem.
Sir Alok Sharma questions the Government on discussions with the US on critical minerals, which would allow UK companies to gain access to the financial support available in the Inflation Reduction Act, on which other blocs such as the European Union are already doing deals.
Alok Sharma welcomes the Government’s plans for powering up Britain, but calls for faster action to respond to US and EU incentives that are attracting billions and billions of private sector investment in their green energy sectors right now.
Sir Alok Sharma secures confirmation on the Government’s commitment to £11.6 billion of international climate finance up to March 2026 and calls on the Government to set out the annual projections for ICF spending over the next three years with a breakdown between mitigation and adaptation finance.