Green Party Conference motion on fracking

Fracking Song by Emily Blyth Green Party of England and Wales Local Party Support Coordinator

Emergency Motion: Fracking

Over the summer months the oil and gas industry stepped up their attempts to bringing hydraulic fracturing for shale gas (fracking) to the UK.

In Balcombe, Sussex, Cuadrilla have begun testing on wells that could eventually be ‘fracked.’ In other parts of the UK, such as the North West and North East of England, South Wales and others fracking companies are hoping to begun exploring for shale gas imminently.

Protesters, including Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, have been arrested for demonstrating against Cuadrilla in recent weeks.

At the same time the UK government has been promoting fracking as an environmentally friendly way to provide energy for the country. Fracking companies will be given tax incentives and communities who accept fracking will be given ‘financial compensation.’

Conference notes that experts from OfGem and Deutsche Bank have said that shale gas exploitation in the UK will have negligible impact on fuel bills.  Furthermore leading economist Lord Stern has said that the suggestion that shale gas will reduce the price of gas is “baseless economics.”

Conference notes that Water UK  - the body that represents water companies  - has warned that fracking could lead to contamination of the water supply.

Conference notes a study by Bloomberg which says that the UK may need to drill 10,000 wells to stop our reliance on imported gas.

Conference sends solidarity to protesters who have been fighting Cuadrilla in Sussex and those protesting against fracking elsewhere.

Conference re-affirms it’s commitment to renewable energy solutions and to moving away from climate change inducing fossil fuels.

Conference re-affirms its opposition to fracking in the UK and instructs elected Greens to fight against fracking at every level.

Conference instructs GPEX to publicise the potential harm that fracking can cause to enable the Green Party at every level to take a firm line to protect communities, drinking water and the environment.

Conference instructs GPEX to publicise the fact that a dash for unconventional oil and gas in the UK is highly likely to mean we will fail to comply with our legally binding climate change legislation.