Climate Minister in Brussels to kickstart growth in the North Seas
Source: gov.uk (2025-01-29)

Climate Minister forges stronger UK-EU cooperation to drive growth and energy security.

- Closer UK-EU cooperation in the North Seas to deliver growth and greater energy security
- new independent report shows economic benefits of working with EU on clean energy
- collaboration with European partners on the clean energy transition will help to drive government’s Plan for Change, protecting bills and creating thousands of jobs
Cooperation on the North Seas was at the top of the agenda for Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy’s first visit to Brussels yesterday (Tuesday 28 January).

During the visit, Minister McCarthy delivered a keynote speech to European leaders at the European Energy Forum, where she said that by working together the UK and the EU can turn the North Seas into the green power plant of Europe and unlock thousands of well-paid, skilled British jobs.

This comes as independent consultants Grant Thornton publish a report (https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/insights/report-a-holistic-overview-of-the-uks-offshore-renewables-potential-and-international-north-sea-cooperation/) commissioned by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which finds that closer cooperation on the clean energy transition in the North Seas could lower bills, create up to 51,000 jobs, and add up to £36 billion to the UK economy.

Minister McCarthy also made the case to EU counterparts that the energy transition in the North Seas will ensure the oil and gas workforce are the ones who deliver the North Sea’s decarbonised future, through offshore wind, carbon capture and storage and hydrogen.

Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy said:

The EU is a crucial ally in bolstering our energy security and protecting families and businesses across Europe from volatile fossil fuel markets.

There is so much more we can do to speed up the clean energy transition, deliver our Plan for Change and make the North Seas the green power plant of Europe.

Through greater cooperation, we can build on our Mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030 helping keep bills down and kickstarting economic growth.

Tsvetelina Penkova President of the European Energy Forum and Member of the European Parliament said:

We simply have to build a robust cooperation between the EU and the UK on energy matters. It is crucial for addressing our shared challenges and ensuring energy security.

Key areas such as energy grids, connectivity and nuclear power require close collaboration to strengthen infrastructure, drive innovation, and support the transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy systems. By working together, we can create a more resilient and interconnected energy network that benefits both parties and contributes to a secure and sustainable energy future.

Minister McCarthy has met with a series of international partners including Belgian Energy Minister, Tinne van der Straeten and the European Union’s Principal Adviser on Energy Diplomacy, Tibor Stelaczky.

The visit comes as the UK continues work to reset its relationship with Europe, an ambition grounded in a new spirit of co-operation intended to strengthen ties, tackle barriers to trade and collaborate in the face of shared global challenges from climate change to illegal migration.