UK: launch of the North Sea Future Plan to secure workers and companies on the path to Net Zero

Developing clean energy industries, supporting the management of oil and gas fields until the end of their operating life, and helping North Sea workers and communities through the transition: these are the three key major objectives of the North Sea Future Plan, presented by the UK Government on 26/11/2025.

"The North Sea will continue to supply the UK for many decades to come, but the decline in oil and gas reserves over the last 20 years has resulted in more than 70,000 job losses over the last decade and has created an urgent need for action to secure its long-term future," stated the UK government.

The main features of the plan are:
• The introduction of Transitional Energy Certificates, which will allow limited oil and gas production on or near existing fields - provided that this additional production does not require new exploration, is already integrated with or linked to existing fields and infrastructure, and is necessary for an "orderly and prosperous" transition.

• The creation of the "North Sea Jobs Service": a national employment programme offering personalised…