'Tragedy of the commons': The problem with 'low carbon' oil and gas claims

Cecilia Keating
clock • 13 min read
An offshore oil rig | Credit: iStock
Image:

An offshore oil rig | Credit: iStock

The oil and gas industry has claimed a 24 per cent reduction in emissions from the North Sea basin since 2018 justifies its expansion - BusinessGreen unpacks the argument

Last week, the UK's oil and gas industry hailed a decline in production emissions from the North Sea basin, arguing the 24 per cent cut recorded since 2018 was evidence companies were taking "big strides...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Energy

IEA: Battery tech dominates global energy innovation in 2025

IEA: Battery tech dominates global energy innovation in 2025

More than 150 energy technology breakthroughs identified in new IEA report, which highlights how energy security has emerged as a leading driver of innovation

Stuart Stone
clock 17 February 2026 • 4 min read
Energy UK's Rachel Cary: 'I'm constantly buoyed by young people's enthusiasm to tackle sustainability'

Energy UK's Rachel Cary: 'I'm constantly buoyed by young people's enthusiasm to tackle sustainability'

Trade body's head of industrial strategy reflects on how EV and heat pump optimisation has taken off in the last year, and the pressing need to adapt urban concrete jungles to the changing climate

Stuart Stone
clock 17 February 2026 • 7 min read
Study: Energy-hungry data centres and air con wiping out climate gains made by renewables

Study: Energy-hungry data centres and air con wiping out climate gains made by renewables

Report warns rapid expansion of renewables is largely covering fast-growing energy demand from data centres and cooling systems rather than displacing fossil fuels

clock 16 February 2026 • 5 min read