Offshore Oil and Gas: Venting and Flaring

Baroness Hayman Excerpts

Tuesday 28th October 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Hayman]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to end routine non-emergency venting and flaring on offshore oil and gas infrastructure.

[Baroness Hayman (CB)]

My Lords, in begging leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, I declare my interest as a director and past chair of Peers for the Planet.

[Lord in Waiting/Government Whip (Lord Wilson of Sedgefield) (Lab)]

In 2020 the UK committed to the World Bank zero routine flaring by 2030 initiative to end routine flaring and venting by 2030. The UK’s oil and gas sector has one of the lowest upstream methane emission intensities globally, but the North Sea contains a lot of ageing infrastructure, including much with only a short production life remaining. However, the approach the UK has been taking, with support from government and regulators, means that the industry is on track to meet its ambitious emissions reduction targets.

[Baroness Hayman (CB)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for that Answer and recognise that some limited progress has been made, but it really is too little, and 2030 is too far ahead, given that methane is one of the most damaging, dangerous and fast-acting greenhouse gases. The practice of venting and flaring in non-emergency situations is both wasteful and damaging to the environment. We were very near to achieving a ban in the Bill that was going through Parliament when the general election was called. The Labour Front Bench at that time supported amendments for a ban. Why do we have to wait longer? Would this not be a very good initiative for the Prime Minister to announce when he goes to COP 30 next month?