Just Transition for the Grangemouth industrial cluster: discussion paper

Draft Just Transition Outcomes for the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster

The National Just Transition Planning Framework sets out eight National Just Transition Outcomes, which have been distilled into the below four areas to support the coherence of these Just Transition Plans.

Jobs, Skills and Economic Opportunities – Scotland has a thriving net-zero economy, enabling businesses to set up and grow sustainably. People are equipped with the skills and opportunities to access good, green jobs in a net-zero economy. This economy delivers a liveable world for people and planet, ensuring a thriving, biodiverse environment and fair work and full lives for people. (JT national outcomes 2 & 4.)

Communities and Places – Should be accessible places for people to grow, investing in their environment and economy. Communities should be empowered to reach net zero in a way that meets their needs, and builds on their unique local strengths, in an equitable fashion as part of a just transition. (JT national outcomes 1 & 7.)

People & Equity – People are able to enjoy basic rights, freedoms and quality of life and have access to necessities such as heat, food, housing, employment, childcare and wider wellbeing. They are healthier, happier and treated with respect and have access to full, varied opportunities that add value to their lives. Opportunities, wealth and power are spread more equally; costs primarily fall to those who can bear them. (JT national outcomes 3 & 8.)

Environment, Biodiversity and adaptation – Our environment must meet the needs of those living in and depending on it. This includes both our natural and built environment. Our spaces must be resilient to the impacts of climate change and restore our biodiversity. Spaces must provide those living or dependent on them with everything they need to live full and healthy lives as they support the transition. (JT national outcomes 5 & 6.)

These outcomes reflect what the Scottish Government has identified as the main areas that just transition activity should cover – this reflects the integral elements of Just Transition; effective reskilling and new economic opportunities, as well as engaging communities and putting fairness and a person-centred approach at the centre of policy making.

Within that, the People and Equity theme reads across to the Scottish Government’s climate justice focus, building on the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019’s climate justice principle, which is ‘the importance of taking action to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases and to adapt to the effects of climate change in ways which—

a. support the people who are most affected by climate change but who have done the least to cause it and are the least equipped to adapt to its effects, and

b. help to address inequality.’

Finally, it is important that just transition activity supports Scottish Government ambitions on tackling the nature crisis and protecting our environment, as well as supporting enhanced resilience to climate change. The ‘Environment, Biodiversity and Adaptation’ outcome will have more weight across the different Just Transition Plans and is included as a baseline to ensure just transition action contributes positively in this space.

These outcomes have been carefully considered in relation to the National planning Framework (NPF 4) which prioritises Grangemouth as an Industrial Green Transition Zone. GFIB’s work to develop this plan acknowledges that the industrial cluster does not operate in isolation, and whilst the focus our efforts will be on the just transition of the industrial cluster, this will have inherent linkages to Grangemouth as a place, with an aim of supporting sustainable, liveable and productive places.

A proposed set of first draft outcomes that articulate the national JT Planning Framework for the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster are set out below. These have been designed and agreed across the Scottish Public Sector, and as such should not be considered final.

These draft outcomes are subject to discussion with stakeholders throughout the first phases of the engagement process. We would appreciate feedback on:

• Whether these outcomes look proportionate and relevant for the change required?
• If there are any additional factors that need to be included into the outcomes?
• What opportunities and/or barriers exist within the industrial cluster to support or prevent delivery against these outcomes?

Jobs, Skills and Economic Opportunities – Scotland has a thriving net zero economy, enabling businesses to set up and grow sustainably. People are equipped with the skills and opportunities to access good, green jobs in a net zero economy. This economy delivers a liveable world for people and planet, ensuring a thriving, biodiverse environment and fair work and full lives for people. (JT national outcomes 2 & 4.)

1: Grangemouth continues to be a thriving manufacturing hub for the Scottish economy, increasing the scale and pace of innovation and acts as an anchor point for new and emerging industries of the future by driving research in new climate compatible manufacturing.

2. Grangemouth’s transition to net zero supports new and existing fair and well-paid jobs across its operations and supply chain in Scotland and, the Grangemouth workforce is diverse and advances equality of opportunity for all.

3: A decarbonised Grangemouth serves a range of domestic and global net-zero markets, has better leveraged public and private investment, identifying areas where it can support the reduction of regional inequality, supporting a strong, dynamic and productive economy which creates equitable wealth and high-quality employment.

4: Grangemouth retains and develops its role as an integral part of the energy supply chain, enabling wider decarbonisation of e.g. the transport and industrial sectors, through production of climate compatible fuels.

Communities and Places – should be accessible places for people to grow, investing in their environment and economy. Communities should be empowered to reach net zero in a way that meets their needs, and builds on their unique local strengths, in an equitable fashion as part of a just transition. (JT national outcomes 1 & 7.)

1: Where a clear connection exists, industry/industrial decarbonation supports the development of clean, safe, green, accessible and improved public and private spaces that are fit for purpose, build resilience and provide wider benefits for people, health and wellbeing, and biodiversity, in a balanced way.

2: Grangemouth has improved coordination of structural levers needed to support the transition in Grangemouth (planning; electricity supply; infrastructure) and the impacts of these developments on wider stakeholders are known and addressed.

3: Grangemouth has an enhanced relationship between community and industry, as well as other actors, with greater presence and visibility of industry activity and developments in typically non-industrial spaces. Grangemouth has an enhanced sense of pride in its industrial strength.

4: Communities are empowered. Strong community links ensure that a wide representative demographic are represented and meaningfully engaged and their views have been considered at each of the decision–making process regarding the long-term future of the industrial cluster and its impact on the wider place of Grangemouth.

People and Equity – People are able to enjoy basic rights, freedoms and quality of life and have access to necessities such as heat, food, housing, employment, childcare and wider wellbeing. They are healthier, happier and treated with respect and have access to full, varied opportunities that add value to their lives. Opportunities, wealth and power are spread more equally; costs primarily fall to those who can bear them. (JT national outcomes 3 & 8.)

1: Health, wealth and wellbeing of the residents of Grangemouth has increased, proportionally, alongside the economic and sustainable growth of the future industrial cluster.

2: Costs of industrial decarbonisation are shared fairly on the basis of ability to pay.

3: Opportunities to leverage the industrial clusters large energy demands in support of reducing local fuel poverty are fully explored and where opportunities are identified, all responsible actors across the public and private sector are obliged maximise the success of specific projects.

4: Local residents have improved access to job opportunities existing or future stemming from the industrial cluster and are not disadvantaged by e.g long travelling distances to gain access to required education.

Environment, Biodiversity and adaptation – Our environment must meet the needs of those living in and depending on it now and in the future. This includes both our natural and built environment. Our spaces must be resilient to the impacts of climate change and restore our biodiversity. Spaces must provide those living or dependent on them with everything they need to live full and healthy lives as they support the transition. (JT national outcomes 5 & 6.)

1: Environmental regulation supports innovation and the transition to achieving net zero and a circular economy whilst maintaining high standards and levels of protection for communities and the environment.

2: The exposure of residents and workers in Grangemouth, but particularly the oldest, youngest and those with pre-existing medical conditions, to poor air quality is minimised.

3: Existing and future infrastructure is designed and embedded in a way that improves and restores habitats and ecosystems, and increases resilience to a changing climate, to meet the objectives of Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy.

4: As an asset of national importance, innovative and appropriate options are identified and adopted for protecting and adapting the cluster and surrounding area from the impacts of climate change.

Proposed Action: Vision for the future of the cluster, co-designed through a workshop approach that brings together stakeholders from industry (including unions and employees), academia and the community.

• This will include potential decarbonisation adaptations for existing industries, new and innovative industries that can support a net-zero economy, product diversification, and a high-level assessment of how this might impact on the surrounding region.
• A draft of a Just Transition Memorandum of Understanding which involved industry bodies could sign in 2023.