Anger as oil chief appointed to climate committee

Wide condemnation has been expressed at the appointment of climate change sceptic and oil company director Peter Lilley to the House of Commons energy and climate change select committee.


The committee examines the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department of Energy and Climate Change and its associated public bodies.

Green campaigners have been particularly vocal in their condemnation of Lilly’s appointment to the 11-member committee after a raft of alleged anti-renewable and climate change sceptics have recently been given environment posts in the Government.  

Greenpeace policy director Joss Garman said: “The addition of climate change sceptic and oil company director Peter Lilley to the energy and climate change select committee is part of a growing picture.

“With Owen Patterson as Environment Secretary and anti-wind campaigner John Hayes now energy minister, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Tories are gearing up to assault the Climate Change Act and increase the UK’s reliance on expensive, imported, polluting fossil fuels.”

MPs have also been critical of the appointment, noting Lilley’s differing and unconventional opinions.

Member of the committee and Labour MP, Alan Whitehead said: “It is odd that someone who doesn’t believe in the existence of half of the committee’s brief would want to be a member of that select committee.”

Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Caroline Flint, vented widespread concern that Lilly was one of the few MPs to vote against the 2008 Climate Change act.

She tweeted: “Peter Lilley one of only 5 MPs to vote against 2008 Climate Change Act, now Tory choice to serve on Energy + Climate Change Select Cttee”

Lilly is vice-chairman and senior independent non-executive director of Tethys Petroleum Ltd, an oil and gas company with operations in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Conor McGlone

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