• Production emissions down by an estimated 37% from 2018 to 2025

  • Strong performance to date, but long-term targets look less certain

  • NSTA firmly focused on implementing the emissions reductions plan

Emissions in the North Sea have fallen for a sixth consecutive year, demonstrating real effort and achievement on behalf of the oil and gas industry. Robust regulation and industry action saw production emissions fall by an estimated 7% in 2025, contributing to an overall estimated reduction of 37% since 2018, according to the latest Emissions Monitoring Report from the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).

In its North Sea Future Plan, the UK government reinforced its support for the NSTA’s approach to emissions reduction, while recognising that domestic oil and gas production, and the associated workforce, continue to play an important role in the energy mix for decades to come, as the UK transitions to net zero.

More than half of last year’s emissions reductions were attributable to active measures, implemented on installations that remain operational rather than just assets that have stopped producing.

The report also shows the UK’s production emissions intensity was well below the global average, according to Rystad data, mainly due to very strong performance on methane emissions. While this is impressive, CO2 intensity compares less favourably globally, and with UK production forecast to decline in future years, continued industry effort on decarbonisation will be needed to prevent sharp increases in emissions intensity, and loss of global position.

The North Sea Transition Deal interim targets of reducing emissions 10% by 2025 and 25% by 2027 have been surpassed, while the goal of halving emissions by 2030 is achievable, based on the current trajectory.  

The NSTA is committed to its emissions reductions plan (the OGA Plan) and has always said it will apply it in a reasonable and pragmatic way that avoids unintended consequences. Consistent with this approach and following robust assessments, the NSTA has concluded that it is not reasonable to electrify a number of platforms in the Central North Sea, partly due to external challenges such as grid connections. This has had an impact on emissions abatement potential projections.

Industry has a strong record of delivery over the last seven years. However, without continued, and even expanded, effort and focus, the long-standing 2040 target of a 90% reduction in emissions will not be achieved. Operators will need to build on the outstanding record to date. They are expected to leave no stone unturned in identifying alternative low-carbon power options in cases where full scale platform electrification is not reasonable, as well as taking an innovative approach to all the requirements set out in the OGA Plan. 

There is the potential to revisit these assessments should circumstance materially change, for instance regarding delivery confidence, first power dates or project economics.

Hedvig Ljungerud, NSTA Director of Strategy, said: 

“The North Sea is a vital part of the UK’s energy system, contributing to the transition and many thousands of skilled jobs. It is welcome to see continued impressive reductions in production emissions, reflecting industry work and commitment. 

“Looking to the challenges ahead, both future targets and staying globally competitive, the NSTA expects operators to rise to these – as they have many times in the past – and show great urgency in committing to additional, significant efforts across the board to drive down emissions.”

The regulator keeps a tight grip on flaring and venting volumes through its annual consents system and, since early 2021, has issued fines totalling £1.7 million for breaches. The NSTA has also promoted investment in equipment to reduce flaring and venting. Each operator must also produce an agreed Emissions Reduction Action Plan for every asset as part of the OGA Plan.

This approach helped cut overall flaring volumes by 60% between 2018 and 2025, while methane emissions, most of which come from venting and flaring, also dropped by an estimated 60% over the same period.

New platforms typically have lower emissions intensities than aging assets as they have more modern fuel-efficient equipment and technologies designed to cut flaring and venting, and tend to benefit from higher production efficiency.    

Encouragingly, Serica Energy installed a flare gas recovery unit at the Bruce field earlier this year, while Neo Next+ is undertaking a similar project at the Elgin-Franklin field, and a partial electrification project at the Culzean gas platform. 

Notes to editors: 

Read the 2026 Emissions Monitoring Report here

EMR Dashboard here

The OGA Plan calls for concerted action across four areas: electrification and low-carbon power, flaring and venting, investment and efficiency, and focus on inventory as a whole, with increased scrutiny of assets with high emissions intensity.

For further information please contact: 
Tel: 07785 655620
Email: pressoffice@nstauthority.co.uk