Beyond Oil initiative fails to secure major producers as members

Eleven national and regional governments have joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), committing to phase out oil and gas extraction. But the group has so far failed to bring on board  any major producers as members.

Denmark and Costa Rica were reported to be seeking to create the alliance over the summer and it was officially launched on November 11. Its core members also include France, Greenland, Ireland, Quebec, Sweden and Wales, and it also counts California, New Zealand, Portugal as associate members. Italy has joined as a "friend" of BOGA.

The core members have pledged to set an end date for oil and gas exploration and production in line with Paris goals, and commit to ending drilling licensing, while associate members will "have taken significant concrete steps that contribute to the reduction of oil and gas production, for example subsidy reform or an end to international public financial support for oil and gas exploration and production abroad."

Friends of the initiative support "a socially just and equitable global transition to align oil and gas production with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, and commits the signatures to work together to facilitate effective measures to this end in line with the Paris Agreement and national climate neutrality targets."

"The Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance raises the bar from climate action," Costa Rican environment minister Andrea Meza said in a statement. "If we want to address the climate crisis, we need a managed but decisive phase out of oil and gas production."

"BOGA will help to spur momentum for countries to phase out their production of oil and gas while creating a clean energy economy," Danish climate minister Dan Jorgensen added.

Notably absent from the Europe-dominated alliance was the UK and specifically Scotland, where the majority of UK oil and gas reserves are located, despite Glasgow hosting the COP26 climate talks. Jorgensen previously told media that BOGA was in "close dialogue" with Scotland, and Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said her government is "considering joining" and envisages an end to oil and gas production "in the not too distant future."

UK prime minister Boris Johnson added that he would "look at what Denmark and Costa Rica are proposing" but said his main focus was on ending the use of coal around the world.

UK oil and gas association OGUK welcomed Scotland not joining BOGA, noting the decision would "strengthen Scotland's energy transition and will actually safeguard the acceleration of essential green technologies as well as Scottish jobs."

"The UK's offshore oil and gas industry is changing – we are in a unique position and are helping aid the energy transition underway," OGUK CEO Deirdre Michie said. "While we still need oil and gas, it is far better we meet our own demand with our own resources rather than importing it, which can be far worse for the environment. Putting an arbitrary end to supply and production would damage livelihoods across Scotland – the same communities whose skills will be vital in helping us achieve a low-carbon economy.”