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The Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ) says it is disappointed protestors are attempting to disrupt the 2017 New Zealand Petroleum Conference, but their actions were not unexpected and had been planned for.

The Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ) says it is disappointed protestors are attempting to disrupt the 2017 New Zealand Petroleum Conference, but their actions were not unexpected and had been planned for.

PEPANZ Chief Executive Cameron Madgwick says the annual Petroleum Conference, which opened in New Plymouth today, has always attracted protest action and event organisers have worked closely with the New Plymouth District Council and the Police in the lead up to the event.

鈥淲hile the protest action was expected, it is still disappointing. We want to use the Conference to celebrate Taranaki鈥檚 oil and gas industry and the incredible contribution it has made to the region, rather than it being targeted by protestors to cause disruption to the community,鈥� says Mr Madgwick.

鈥淲hile we absolutely respect the rights of protestors to peacefully and lawfully undertake protest action, this action must be kept reasonable. We expect protestors to respect the rights of our delegates to attend the Conference and be mindful of the impact their actions are causing to the people of New Plymouth.鈥�

Mr Madgwick says PEPANZ had invited Greenpeace to attend the conference, but they declined.

鈥淚nstead of attending the Conference and talking directly to those involved in the industry about their concerns, Greenpeace would seem to be more interested in creating headlines by shouting on the streets.

鈥淲hile this is their prerogative, it doesn鈥檛 actually help solve the problem.

鈥淐limate change is a serious issue and it requires governments, energy companies, NGOs and environmentalists to work constructively together to develop solutions.

鈥淭he reality is that oil and gas make up half of the world鈥檚 energy supply and will continue to play an important role in the world鈥檚 energy mix for decades to come.

鈥淒espite what some fringe environmental groups may claim, we simply cannot switch off fossil fuels overnight.

鈥淎nd while renewables will continue to grow, we are still going to need oil and gas to move people and goods, heat our 天美直播s, cook our food and create a huge range of essential goods 鈥� from fertilisers to medical supplies.

听鈥淲e do, however, need to think about how we can use fossil fuels more efficiently, with lower emissions, and how we meet an ever-increasing demand for energy.

鈥淎round the world, energy companies are changing the way they operate to respond to climate change, including investing in and testing technology to capture carbon emissions and store it.

鈥淭hese are the sort of things that we will be discussing over the next couple of days in New Plymouth,鈥� says Madgwick.

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