How will the SNP ensure ‘Just Transition’ for the North East’s energy sector?

We are committed to capitalising on our natural resources and pursuing a green reindustrialisation of Scotland that will produce high-quality jobs, stimulate economic growth, fight poverty and fund strong public services.

The accelerated decline in the North Sea must be stopped. Scotland needs an oil and gas sector that’s strong enough and robust enough to contribute to this transition. A just transition from oil and gas cannot be delivered – for the people and businesses that rely on it – if the life is squeezed out of the sector overnight.

It could threaten energy security while destroying the very skills we need to transition to the new low-carbon economy. Thatcher’s policies wiped out our industrial communities – Westminster’s Energy Profits Levy is doing the same to today’s North Sea workers.

Scotland has the talent, skills, and resources in abundance to be a major player in the energy transition and secure a prosperous and sustainable future. Renewable energy is already delivering formidably for Scotland: renewable energy generation reached a record high in 2024.

Reports show that Scotland’s net zero sector has grown by more than 20% since 2022, with employment in the sector growing by the equivalent of 16,500 new full-time jobs. With our backing, Scotland can lead the net zero revolution, creating jobs, reskilling opportunities and investing in a domestic supply chain.

We have taken meaningful steps to ensure that our workers and communities are not left behind, with some of the most recent measures including the landmark £500 million Just Transition Fund, supporting a shift to careers in offshore wind infrastructure and supply chain development, and the Oil and Gas Transition Fund to support offshore workers to take on different roles in sustainable energy. But we must go further.

Scotland’s energy wealth has been squandered as a cash cow for the Treasury, while ordinary Scots pay some of the highest bills in Europe. In a nation as energy rich as Scotland it is a disgrace that so many our citizens are so energy poor. came to office.

The blame lies squarely at Westminster’s door; key powers over industry, trade, industrial relations, employment law and energy are all in Labour’s hands.

This is why it is so vital that we remain steadfastly behind the renewable energy revolution and maximise the investment and opportunities this will bring. If we repeat the same mistakes of the past – and allow Scotland’s immense natural resources to be mismanaged by Westminster – then we risk the same fate.

Westminster has failed to provide the industry with certainty or stability, directly opposed to supporting jobs and the just transition, safeguarding energy security and lowering bills. With the full powers, we could do what Labour and the Tories have failed to do – make Scotland’s energy work for Scotland, not for Westminster.