Stuart believes that the new licensing round for oil and gas exploration is compatible with climate targets. He was asked how during an interview on BBC Breakfast he said :
As well as ensuring energy security, which is a top priority for the government, we have one of the lowest emitting production systems for oil and gas.
We are going to use oil and gas and we will be using about a quarter of the level of gas even in 2050 under our net-zero approach, just because we will net that out, so having our own domestic gas is good for the economy.
It is good for the environment because when we burn our own gas, it has less emissions around its production than foreign gas, as well as supporting British jobs. Our development is not going to affect our usage, the use of our development is determined by the framework of the Climate Change Act and the independent climate change committee that informs government policy. You can be assured that it is actually contradictory, but it is good for the environment that we are going to produce more gas and oil at home.