Meeting of the Parliament 07 May 2014
As stated in Labour’s amendment, Scotland needs a robust and balanced energy policy that strives to match our energy needs with our climate change and carbon reduction targets.
I do not agree with the Green Party's motion that unconventional gas extraction should be banned outright; nor do I agree with the approach that has been taken by the Westminster Government, which seems to have embraced shale gas with open arms and has, at times, flouted proper regulation in the rush to do so. Currently, the scale of the impacts of fracking on health, the climate and the local environment is unknown, and it would be foolhardy to welcome the industry until we better understand the implications.
With that in mind, our approach to fracking should be cautious and based on scientific evidence. It is an industry that could be damaging to our climate change targets, so I am calling on the Scottish Government to bring forward robust national guidelines for all forms of unconventional gas extraction before the industry is allowed to continue in Scotland.
I see no reason to rush into fracking. An expansion of the shale gas industry is unlikely to assist in our attempts to meet carbon reduction targets, create jobs or bring down energy costs to assist the estimated 900,000 people who currently suffer from fuel poverty.
It could be argued that shale gas extraction has driven down the cost of energy in the US, but the same is unlikely to occur here. A report that was carried out by the US Energy Information Administration said:
“Compared with North America, the shale geology of the UK is considerably more complex, while drilling and completion costs for shale wells are substantially higher.”
Friends of the Earth also points to the fact that the industry is unlikely to create significant jobs growth within Scotland, with Dart Energy’s Airth project likely to create only 20 jobs.
Fracking might well increase our energy security, but a better way to do that would be to promote a diverse energy supply, including a strong renewables sector, with a drive towards community ownership. That would also help achieve our climate change and carbon reduction targets.
However, the renewables sector in Scotland could be under threat from separation. Scotland currently receives around a third of all renewables subsides in the UK despite representing only 10 per cent of the consumer base. If we were to separate, that cost would fall to Scottish consumers, inevitably putting up energy costs and forcing even more people into fuel poverty.
Scottish Labour has always advocated community ownership as a vehicle for empowering local communities, tackling social justice and delivering economic growth. Community ownership in renewables would not only help Scotland to achieve renewables targets but create green jobs while tackling fuel poverty.
There is no reason to rush into fracking in Scotland. It seems to provide limited gain at this stage against the possibility of a disaster for the environment, our health and our climate change targets. Fracking should be halted until robust national guidelines, including planning guidelines, are in place to ensure that it is in line with our Scottish energy policy. Instead, we should aim to secure an affordable, diverse energy supply that, above all, tackles the scourge of fuel poverty.
15:46