King Charles will be aware that announcing new oil and gas licences sends a “damaging signal globally” about the UK’s net zero commitments, experts have said.
Despite his own campaigning on decarbonisation, Charles will use the King’s Speech on Tuesday to announces further licences for drilling in the North Sea, which one campaigner said would be done through “gritted teeth”.
“He’ll have no choice but to read out that bill and explain why the Government says they need it,” said Ed Matthew, campaigns director at climate change think-tank E3G. “But ultimately as a champion of action to protect the UK and the global environment, he will know that increasing licensing of oil and gas in the North Sea sends a very damaging signal globally that the UK is watering down its climate commitments.”
“I imagine that he will read out the bill through gritted teeth.”
But a former adviser to the King said his “sense of duty” will see him announce the plans “professionally”, adding that Charles can make his own opinions clear at the upcoming United Nations Cop28 summit.
The Government has confirmed Charles’ first King’s Speech will include new legislation that will allow for oil and gas drilling licences in the North Sea to be awarded annually, prompting backlash from campaigners and scientists who say the plans go against the UK’s international climate commitments.
It marks the latest rollback in net-zero commitments from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, placing him at odds with the King, who is known as a passionate environmentalist.
King Charles has never publicly spoken out on the issue of oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, but reportedly divested his personal holdings from fossil fuels in 2015.
Jonathon Porritt, the former leader of the Green Party who has advised the King on environmental issues, said he has “never heard him say explicitly whether he’s against or in favour [of North Sea drilling]”.
“I think the most important thing is he has clearly emphasised time after time that we need to do everything possible to accelerate decarbonisation efforts… I guess that he would expect us to make our own conclusions about whether or not the licences make a good decarbonisation initiative.”
Mr Porritt said the King’s “sense of duty overrides everything else”, adding that he is “far too professional” to “grimace” when announcing the new licences.
“He’s been aware of the fact that the King’s Speech is a critical part of the role that he’s in now and I imagine he probably reconciles himself to there being some complicated issues for him to give voice to in a succession of speeches from now on.”
The King’s Speech comes weeks before Charles is set to give the opening address at the Cop28 climate summit, which is being held at the end of the month in Dubai.
Mr Matthew said the Government’s oil and gas plans “weaken the role of the UK in helping to accelerate the global transition to net zero” in the lead up to the conference.
“That is very damaging timing that [the King] will be fully aware of. I imagine this will make him extremely uncomfortable. It will be embarrassing for him.”
But Mr Porritt believed delegates at Cop28 “will be able to distinguish between our Head of State and what it is our Government is doing”.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
