Most Scots want the Scottish Government to avoid a rush to wind down oil and gas production, according to a poll which has placed North Sea jobs at the centre of the SNP leadership debate.
A new poll, commissioned by industry body OEUK, shows that the overwhelming majority of the Scottish public believe that Holyrood should not act to speed up the decline of domestic production of oil and gas, and should either allow it to happen as currently forecast or act to extend production further.
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce has called on all candidates running for the SNP leadership to reflect on the findings and commit to scrapping the government's proposed presumption against future North Sea exploration.
Findings
The research by Opinium, based on 1,000 adults, suggests 36% of the public believes the Scottish Government should try to extend production beyond the next 20 years.
A further 23% say the government should do nothing and let production decline as forecast.
The poll also suggests just 5% want to see the Scottish Government act to end North Sea oil and gas production more quickly.
David Whitehouse, chief executive of OEUK, said: "This is an excellent vote of
confidence in the people in this industry who work hard to produce the energy
we need to power and heat our homes and businesses. Our sector is
critical to our energy security and a successful energy transition.
"This is
another poll showing support for our people to continue to provide home grown
energy that benefits the economy, delivers jobs, meets our ongoing needs, while
delivering on the nation’s net zero goals .
"OEUK and our members are committed
to working with both of Scotland's governments and all parties so we can make
sure we realise an energy future which is built here and benefits communities
for generations to come.
"The next decade will be critical, and we need to
politicians of all parties to work together with us if we are to speed up the
action required."
'Declare your position'
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, one of the biggest critics of the Scottish Government's proposed presumption against future oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, has called on all candidates running for the SNP leadership to "reflect on the findings".
And AGCC Policy Director Ryan Crighton has urged all candidates to commit to rolling back on the presumption, which he says will threaten jobs and investment in the North Sea.
“While the Scottish Government’s position is largely symbolic, as these matters are reserved to the Westminster parliament, the proposed presumption against exploration for North Sea oil and gas has been met with compete disbelief in the North-east of Scotland," he said.
“The energy transition is going to take 25 years or more and there is quite clearly a sustained period of time where oil and gas will remain a crucial part of our energy mix. So, we have two options; to produce more domestically, with full control over the regulatory environment in which it is extracted; or to import an increasing amount of our energy, with the heavier carbon toll that shipping it from other parts of the world carries.
“There is an acceptance in the public at large that leaving Scotland’s oil in the ground while importing increasing amounts of it from other parts of the world is environmentally illiterate. We welcome the fact this crucial issue has already made its way to the centre of the SNP leadership debate - and we urge all candidate to take a stance against the presumption.”
The polling was published as former SNP government minister Ash Regan intervened in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon by vowing to protect oil and gas jobs.
Ms Regan’s pitch will be viewed with interest in regions such as the north-east where offshore jobs underpin so much of the economy.
Her position is seen as a clear push away from Ms Sturgeon’s platform and could cause fractures with Green party colleagues in government.