Most Scots want Boris Johnson to reassess the drilling licence granted for the controversial Cambo oil field to make sure it keeps the UK within climate change targets.
A poll of Scots ahead of the COP26 environment conference in Glasgow shows 40 per cent of Scots want the UK government to ban further oil and gas extraction licences, compared to just 21 percent who oppose.
The Cambo field is already licensed for exploration but two oil companies, Siccar Point and Shell, are now bidding to start extracting up to 170 billion barrels of oil over the next 25 years.
The drilling licence has become a touchstone issue in the run-up to the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow.
Climate activists urged Nicola Sturgeon to join the SNP’s coalition partners the Scottish Greens in calling for Westminster to revoke the licence granted for the Cambo oilfield and the First Minister eventually called on Johnson to “reassess” the permit.
When asked about the Cambo field, excluding the 27 percent who neither support nor oppose and the 12 percent who don’t know, the poll showed 66 percent to 34 percent of Scots in favour of the licence to drill being reviewed.
The application is being considered by the UK Government’s Oil and Gas Authority.
The poll for the Politico website asked 1,000 Scots for their view on climate change.
Just one in five believe the UK could meet the 205 net zero carbon target if oil extraction was to continue.
But 36 per cent of respondents support further extraction of oil and gas even if doing so would be harmful to the environment, compared to 25 per cent who do not.
Scots polled overwhelmingly support COP26 going ahead in November by 53 per cent to 32 per cent.
With big protests expected when the summit rolls into Glasgow, respondents are split on whether they should be allowed to protest around the main venues — 42 percent think they should be allowed to, 35 percent do not.
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