Page 8 - NorthAmOil Week 45 2021

NorthAmOil POLICY NorthAmOil

Beyond Oil and

Gas Alliance aims

to end oil and gas

production

CALIFORNIA THE Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA)
is calling for an immediate end to new licens-
ing rounds for oil and gas exploration, and has
signed up 11 governments to a promise to end oil
and gas production by Paris Agreement-aligned
date.
The initiative, which is led by the Danish and
Costa Rican governments and was launched at
COP26 in Glasgow on November 11, has called
for “bold and tangible action, not talk” to move
beyond oil and gas.
The alliance is supported by 11 governments
and views an end to oil and gas production as a
key component of meeting the Paris Agreement’s
1.5-degree target.
“The IPPC has sounded a code red for
humanity, because there is no future for oil and
gas in a 1.5-degree world,” said Danish Minister
for Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jorgensen
“The fossil era must come to an end.”
The alliance is the first state-led initative to
bring the phasing out of oil and gas production
into the international area.
The alliance currently features: Denmark;
France; Ireland; Sweden; Wales; Iceland; Costa
Rica; Quebec; New Zealand and California. Italy start a major conversation on ending oil and gas California Governor
supports the alliance as a friend. and to develop new strategies to pursue a just Gavin Newsom
The group does not feature any major oil and energy transition.
The alliance gas producers, and crucially does not feature the It also aims to increase the political pressure announced that his
state would join the
currently UK, the COP26 host. on oil and gas producing countries to work alliance even as the US
Denmark is taking the lead by setting 2050 towards aligning their energy strategies with the
features: as the date for the end of oil and gas production, Paris Agreement goals. was absent.
“Last week’s flurry of announcements created
Denmark; France; and has committed to ceasing immediately all oil a lot of headlines, but initiatives like the Beyond
and gas licensing.
“Our goal is not small, our ambition is not Oil and Gas Alliance show what real climate
Ireland; Sweden; modest. We hope that today will mark the begin- leadership looks like. If we want to keep global
Wales; Iceland; ning of the end of oil and gas,” said Jorgensen. heating below 1.5 degrees, a managed decline of

Costa Rica; “The science has spoken and the time for O&G fossil fuel production is the only way. This alli-
has run out,” he said.
ance is a great first step to start that process,” said
The other also countries have current or May Boeve, executive director of 350.org
Quebec; New potential oil and gas reserves, and are taking the The group’s aims follow the conclusions of the
Zealand and lead in promising to keep the hydrocarbons in International Energy Agency (IAE), which said
recently that there can be no new investment in
the ground.
California. The body features countries that have com- new fossil fuel production projects if the world is
mitted to ending oil and gas production by a to meet the 1.5-degree target.
certain date. Governments and sub-national To achieve this, the world must achieve net
governments can also support the movement zero by 2050, a goal that is “narrow but still
without setting an end-date for oil and gas. achievable,” the IEA said. To reach this target, no
Jorgensen said the group hopes to unveil new further upstream projects are needed beyond
members in the coming day, and will be able to those already approved.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 45 11•November•2021