UK Government publishes consultation seeking views on the delivery of the Government’s commitment to support a prosperous and managed North Sea transition (closing 23:59 BST on 30 April 2025)

The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero published a consultation paper setting out its plans to develop a framework to support its ambition to “drive the development of an internationally-leading offshore clean energy industry, which ensures good, long-term jobs, growth and investment in communities across the North Sea – boosting the country’s economy and energy security”. The consultation notes that responses will support the “delivery of the government’s commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields, whilst not revoking existing licences and partnering with business and workers to manage our existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan”.

The scope of the consultation is very broad and includes the following areas (amongst others): planned investment in clean energy industries (including carbon capture, usage and storage and hydrogen industries); securing local workers in the new energy sectors (including the transition of oil and gas workers to clean energy and other industrial strategy sectors); the barriers for current oil and gas supply chains to transition to alternative sectors and measures to support such transition; the licensing of onshore and offshore activities; and the proposed revision to the principal objective of the North Sea Transition Authority.

The full consultation can be found here.