Just Transition Plan delayed due to ‘fast-moving energy landscape’

The Scottish Government’s Just Transition Plan has been delayed until the autumn.

The strategy will lay out Government plans to move away from fossil fuels while also preserving jobs in the north east of Scotland – where as many as 100,000 people work in the energy sector.

In the Programme for Government, ministers said they would establish a Just Transition Plan for all sectors, with the energy industry due to be the first – published alongside a new energy strategy.

But in an answer to a parliamentary question, Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson said on Wednesday that the document will be pushed back because of the “fast-moving energy landscape”.

He added: “The revised timeline will allow time for robust evidence and analysis to be produced and take account of ongoing projects, which are progressing at pace in response to the rapidly evolving global energy environment.

“The UK Government is due to produce an energy security strategy, which has been postponed, and we will also need to take this into consideration for Scotland’s energy strategy.”

A just transition, Mr Matheson said, is a “non-negotiable aspect of our journey to net-zero” and extending the timescale will allow more time for stakeholder engagement.

Scottish Conservative net-zero spokesman Liam Kerr said: “This delay shows the SNP-Green Government were looking for a quick headline when they announced their so-called Just Transition Plan which actually has no plan in it whatsoever.”

Along with the plan, the Scottish Government announced a £500 million Just Transition Fund as part of the deal between the SNP and the Greens.

“We also still have absolutely no detail about where the first £20 million of the Just Transition Fund is going because the coalition itself doesn’t even know,” Mr Kerr added.

“This is why I have submitted a written question to ask if the release of this funding will also now be delayed alongside the plan.

“The sector and our local authorities deserve better than being fed false promises by ministers who want to shut down our oil and gas industry.

“If this transition is not done in a fair way, this coalition of chaos will consign thousands of Scottish jobs to the scrap heap.”