據3月8日世界石油報道，英國政府設定了一個在本世紀中葉實現化石燃料凈零排放的目標，這意味著北海地區的石油和天然氣生產商都必須控制它們產生的溫室氣體。削減排放量可能比之前預期來得更早，最快在2025年。

英國石油天然氣管理局(Oil & Gas Authority)首席執行官安迪?塞繆爾(Andy Samuel)表示:“為了實現長遠目標，我們需要設立一個短期目標以確保馬上就能采取行動。”

一位在石油行業的高管表示，面對來自更清潔能源的激烈競爭，石油公司很可能在未來5年內將排放量減少30%左右。

蘇格蘭阿伯丁油氣技術中心(Oil and Gas Technology Centre)首席執行官科萊特?科恩(Colette Cohen)表示:“如果油氣行業不采取行動，我們的信譽將受到損害。一些項目可能很容易達到30%的目標，但對某些項目來說可能十分困難。”

包括英國石油公司(BP Plc)、荷蘭皇家殼牌有限公司(Royal Dutch Shell Plc)在內的幾家大型石油公司正在與英國政府進行凈零排放研究。

歐盟本周提出的草案包括到2050年實現溫室氣體凈零排放的約束性目標，2030年的修訂目標要到今年晚些時候提出。即將脫離歐盟的英國已經有了一套法律規定的降低碳預算的體系。只是什么時候會對這個行業施加限制還沒有決定，但石油公司們已經開始考慮應對措施，并找到可以節省大筆資金的地方。

洪偉立 摘譯自 世界石油

原文如下：

North Sea oil producers face near-term carbon target challenge

A group of UK North Sea oil and natural gas producers face an ambitious government-mandated target to cut their emissions as soon as 2025 as the nation seeks to make more real its ambition for net-zero fossil fuel pollution by the middle of the century.

The UK government has set a goal of zeroing out net pollution, suggesting that companies of all kinds will have to rein in the greenhouse gases they produce. The cuts may need to happen much sooner than some expect.

“We need nearer-term targets to ensure action is happening now,” said Andy Samuel, chief executive of regulator the Oil & Gas Authority. “We would support a stretching target.”

Facing fierce competition from cleaner alternatives, the oil companies are probably able to cut emissions by about 30% in the next five years, according to an executive who’s worked in the industry for more than 25 years.

“Our credibility will be damaged if the industry is not seen to be in action,” said Colette Cohen, chief executive officer of the Oil and Gas Technology Centre in Aberdeen, Scotland. “It may be easy for some assets to achieve the 30%, but it may be much more difficult for others.”

A few major oil companies including BP Plc, CNOOC Ltd. of China and Royal Dutch Shell Plc are undertaking net zero “deep dives” with the British authority.

A draft measure proposed by the European Union this week included a binding target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with a revised target for 2030 to be put forward only later this year.

The UK, which is leaving the EU, already has a system of declining carbon budgets mandated in law. Just what restrictions will be imposed on the industry and when hasn’t been decided, but the companies are starting to think about how they will respond and finding places they can make big savings.