Oil and gas will continue to be part of the UK’s energy mix for decades to come, even as demand declines, as we transition. However, domestic production can and must keep getting cleaner to preserve support for the sector’s ongoing operations and assist the government in reaching net zero by 2050.
As independent regulator, the NSTA continues to hold the sector to account on its emissions reduction targets, including a 90% reduction by 2040, on the pathway to carbon neutrality, while also prioritising measures to accelerate the transition and secure energy production.
The NSTA publishes annual Emissions Monitoring Reports which present a wide range of data on overall greenhouse gas emissions, methane emissions, performance benchmarking and flaring and venting to track industry’s progress.
Production emissions have been on a downward trajectory in recent years, due to a combination of the NSTA’s robust approach to regulation and management and industry action, including investment in technologies which reduce flaring. But rapid and sustained emissions reduction continues to be critical, as operators will need to deliver reductions beyond the end of the current decade.
The NSTA published the OGA Plan, following extensive consultation, in March 2024 to provide certainty and help operators make clear, long-term plans, putting them on the pathway to net zero. It supports the delivery of our revised Strategy, which introduced a range of net zero obligations for industry, and sets out emissions reduction principles and requirements in four areas: investment and efficiency; electrification and low carbon power; inventory; and flaring and venting. Delivering the Plan by taking serious action on emissions reductions will enable the domestic oil and gas industry to maintain its social licence to operate, ensuring the nation can benefit from a domestic resource as we transition.
