Prime Minister Rishi Sunak supports British new oil and gas exploration

In an interview published on Saturday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak supported plans to allow new fossil fuel exploration off the coast of the United Kingdom and pledged to be "pragmatic and proportionate" about achieving net zero emissions.

The stance is likely to intensify environmentalists' criticism, who accuse the British prime minister of reversing green policies to appease voter anxiety over their potential cost in the midst of the country's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Sunak sought to distinguish his ruling Conservatives from its main rival Labour on these issues, in anticipation of the upcoming general election.

After more than a decade in opposition, Labour seems poised to reclaim power.

"I think it makes no sense at all, as the Labour Party suggests, to ban North Sea oil and gas," Sunak told the Tory-supporting newspaper, referring to the waters off the British east coast.

This will only erode our energy security and strengthen the hands of dictators like Vladimir Putin.

In addition, £80 billion ($103 billion) in tax revenue will be jeopardized, along with approximately 200,000 jobs spread across 30 different economic sectors.

Sunak, who became leader in October of last year, stated that his strategy was "to support the UK's energy industry" and appeared to imply that failure to exploit new UK oil and gas reserves could result in "the lights going out" in Britain.

"Every sane person acknowledges that we will need these fossil fuels during the transition to net zero," he argued.

- 'Max out-

In recent days, Sunak and his ministers have angered climate activists by suggesting that some UK environmental targets could be lowered, while providing lukewarm support for the country's ambitious net zero agenda.

Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist, described the British government as "out of touch with reality" on Friday, after energy minister Grant Shapps stated that officials would seek to "max out" North Sea reserves.

Several mainstream pressure groups claiming to represent tens of millions of Britons sent a letter to Sunak pledging to mobilize if net zero policies are watered down.

The moves come after the Conservatives defied dismal national poll ratings to narrowly retain the vacated northwest London seat of former prime minister Boris Johnson in a by-election last week.

Conservative opponents of net zero appear to have been emboldened by Sadiq Khan's expansion of a scheme taxing the use of the most polluting vehicles, which prompted voter unease.

Sunak, who has been criticized for his frequent use of helicopters and planes to travel throughout Britain, insisted in the interview that he wishes to "leave the environment and our climate in a better state."

"But I'll do it in a way that is pragmatic and proportionate, and I won't add costs or hassle to people's lives unnecessarily," he added, referring to the harsh economic reality that many face.