Offshore Energies UK has appointed Louise Stewart as Director of External Relations and Commercial Affairs based in London.
This newly created role helps OEUK and its members shape the future of the North Sea and the UK’s energy future, convening the relationships, commercial investments and policies to safeguard and drive security and innovation across the nation’s diverse offshore energy mix.
OEUK is the leading body for the UK’s offshore energy industry, giving a voice to over 400 organisations and businesses up and down the British Isles. Its members’ people work across offshore oil, gas, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and wind. From operators to the supply chain and from production to decommissioning, they are safely providing cleaner fuel, power and products to the UK.
Louise has built a distinguished career, firstly as a political editor with the BBC and then as a senior leader with Federation of Small Business, at leading agencies and most recently as Vice President of Global Communications and Engagement with Meta’s Oversight Board, the parent company of leading brands, including Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp.
David Whitehouse, OEUK CEO comments:
'I’m delighted Louise is coming on board. She brings an excellent vision – plus the leadership skills to execute it – at this key time for the UK’s energy future.
'I’m looking forward to working with her as OEUK accelerates work to inform and educate policymakers and the public about the vital importance of this industry and its brilliant people.
'This is one of the most collaborative and innovative sectors in the UK. Louise can help us continue to deliver best-in-class services for our members as we ensure their voices are listened to at the very highest levels of government.'
Louise Stewart says:
'I’m thrilled to join OEUK. This is an opportunity with one of the UK’s most strategically important industries and OEUK is currently leading its response to critical government consultations on everything from taxation to environmental impact and industrial strategy.
'To do this it’s drawing upon its world-class in-house team plus the insight of more than 400 member companies. I can’t wait to work with them to meet this challenge with full force.
'It’s essential policymakers listen to this industry’s exceptional people. We must build on their outstanding achievements with practical policies to attract the private investment the UK needs for a secure and exciting low carbon future.'
OEUK is campaigning for a homegrown energy future that makes the most of the UK’s domestic energy resources as it journeys to net zero. It has just held a series of live debates about the Future of the North Sea in Aberdeen, Falkirk and Newcastle to hear the views of the public.
Find out more by visiting OEUK’s campaign hub www.oeuk.org.uk/manifesto
Fast facts
- 154,000 UK jobs are directly or indirectly related to offshore energy.
- 120,000 of these are directly or indirectly supported by oil and gas projects. When induced jobs are included this increases to over 200,000.
- Spend in the UK’s offshore energy sector could total £450bn from 2024 to 2040.
- The existing supply chain built through experience supporting the oil and gas sector has the capability to service 84%, 80% and 58% of our CCS, Hydrogen, and Floating offshore wind sectors, respectively.
- Moving to net zero will require more than £1 trillion of investment across the UK economy.
- The UK imports around 41% of its energy needs. UK energy production is at the lowest it has ever been.
- The UK gets three-quarters of its total energy from oil and gas. Domestic production is equivalent to around half these needs. · At least 20 million homes rely on gas boilers for heating. 1.1 million more homes rely on heating oil.
- Over 26% of UK electricity is supplied by gas power stations
- 38 million UK vehicles run on petrol or diesel.
Source: OEUK
