New Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said she will adopt a “pragmatic” approach to the North Sea as she brushed off claims she is an “eco-zealot”.
Ms Fahnbulleh, who took over the role from Ed Miliband, inherits a towering in-tray, including decisions on the offshore oil sector and tackling sky-high energy prices.
But she has already raised eyebrows with comments she made before joining the Cabinet.
In 2019 she wrote an essay for the Foreign Affairs magazine that said the UK should strive to hit Net Zero by the mid 2030s.
The official Government target for zero carbon emissions is 2050.
She called for a “global green new deal” that would see “massive mobilisation of resources to decarbonise and at the same time create millions of jobs and lift living standards”.
She has also previously warned against approving new oil fields.
In 2022, she wrote on Twitter: “To have a shot at staying within 1.5C global warming, we can’t have any new oil or gas fields.
“It’s irresponsible and shortsighted to be funding new fossil fuels when we need to be getting to Net Zero fast.”
Reform deputy leader, Richard Tice, suggested that, in Ms Fahnbulleh, “Labour have found someone even more extreme than Ed Miliband”.
But Ms Fahnbulleh brushed off suggestions she was an “eco zealot”, saying: “We’re in the new politics of no point-scoring, so Richard can say what he likes, I’m not going to engage in that.”
Pushed on her approach to the North Sea, Ms Fahnbulleh told Times Radio: “I think it is about pragmatism.”
North Sea analysts say her decisions on two controversial gas and oil fields will prove an acid test.
Work at both Rosebank, Britains’ largest untapped oil field, and Jackdaw, a gas field, has stopped, pending legal challenges on climate ground.
A consultation is underway but the final decision will rest with the Government.
Panmure Liberum director and oil and gas research analyst, Ashley Kelty, said: “Whether the enlarged salary and status encourages her to develop a sense of pragmatism remains to be seen.”
He told Energy Voice: “Investors will keenly await to see if the approvals of Jackdaw and Rosebank go through.
“If not, Mr Miliband could well be off to Norway to explain to the Norwegians why they have wasted $2bn on a development that Kier Starmer had promised them would be approved.”
Other high-energy industries said tackling energy prices must be the number one issue if the UK were to hit Net Zero “with jobs, not mass unemployment”.
Steve Elliott, chief executive of the Chemical Industries Association, called on Ms Fahnbulleh and new business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, to make this a priority.
He said: “We look forward to working with her – she brings some real economic expertise to her new role.
“That economic expertise needs to be applied to prices which are 45 per cent above the G7 median.
“Despite the change of leader, we are now entering year three of this energy approach – started even before then, by the previous administration.
“One of the most vital partnerships in the new Government will be between Miatta Fahnbulleh and Jonathan Reynolds – let’s get this sorted urgently, so we can have Net Zero with jobs, not mass unemployment.”
Rob Flello, head of Ceramics UK, also urged Ms Fahnbulleh to support British industry.
He said: “Time will tell as to whether the new incumbent is a breath of fresh air or a continuity Secretary of State.
“We are hoping that the new Secretary of State looks on British industry, energy intensive industries and particularly the UK ceramic industry, favourably, and looks at how we can be helped to meet Net Zero, rather than using Net Zero to decarbonise us by de-industrialisation.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “The North Sea remains a vital national asset, supporting jobs, growth and the UK’s energy security.
“We are clear that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come, alongside renewables, nuclear and other low-carbon technologies.
“Our focus is on providing stability and ensuring the North Sea continues to make a strong contribution to the UK’s economy and energy security.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to make reindustrialisation a priority and has said he will strive for “good growth in every postcode”.
