Scotland has a huge Green potential
A grim warning over the future of North Sea workers shows why governments must urgently double down on investment in Scotland’s renewable economy, the Scottish Greens have said.
The North Sea Transition Taskforce: One Year On report has warned that oil and gas activity is declining faster than new industries are growing, with 25,000 jobs reportedly lost since the 2024 general election.
The Scottish Greens said that the report provides yet more evidence that Scotland urgently needs a genuinely just transition.
The Greens have long called for investment to be accelerated to protect workers and retain vital skills, securing a clear long-term future for Scotland’s energy sector and the communities that depend on it.
Scottish Greens spokesperson for energy, Kristopher Leask MSP said:
“This report confirms what workers, communities, and the Greens, have been warning about for years. Oil and gas jobs are disappearing far faster than secure, well-paid jobs in the renewable sector are being created.
“Allowing the North Sea to decline without building the industries that must replace it would be an unforgivable economic failure. Especially when Scotland has the workforce, resources and expertise to lead a just transition.
“The solution is not tax breaks for polluting oil and gas giants making record-profits year after year, as the SNP propose, nor is it letting them open up more projects like Rosbank and Jackdaw as Labour and the Lib Dems propose.
“Instead, we must double down on the investment needed to build Scotland’s renewable economy, strengthening domestic supply chains and ensuring that vital skills and industrial capacity are not squandered or lost entirely.
“There is already money set aside for this. We have a £500 million Just Transition Fund that is simply not being spent. We are halfway through the ten-year lifespan of this Fund, but only 20% of it has been allocated.
“John Swinney’s latest budget proposal only allocates £17 million for 2026-27, nearly five times less than what would be required to close the funding gap the SNP government has created.
“The focus should be on bringing manufacturing and investment home to Scotland, giving businesses the long-term certainty they are calling for, creating secure, unionised jobs in offshore wind, decommissioning and other growing industries.
“The Scottish Government must finally publish a credible energy strategy with a real just transition plan, and the UK Government must work with Scotland to deliver its promised investment so that it reaches workers and communities in Scotland.”