Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan

Annex C - Engagement

The vision and actions set out in this draft ESJTP will impact everyone in Scotland, and for us to succeed in delivering on our net zero ambitions we need to ensure that these plans are shaped and driven by the people, communities and businesses that they impact most.

Our approach is guided by our Just Transition Planning Framework. The plan will continue to be developed through additional co-design with stakeholders and the public to ensure it is an iterative, ongoing process.

We are grateful to the following organisations who have been involved in engagement events to support development of the draft strategy and plan:

Scottish Youth Parliament

Committee on Climate Change

Enterprise agencies

Moray Chambers of Commerce

Aberdeen and Grampian Chambers of Commerce

Just Transition Commission

Trade unions

Universities

Port owners

Net Zero Technology Centre

Offshore wind developers

Oil and gas industry

Onshore wind developers

North Sea Transition Authority

Offshore Energy UK

Aerospace Technology Institute

Scottish Council for Development and Industry

Scottish Gas Networks

Ofgem

Prioritising Female Voices

Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council

Crown Estate Scotland

Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations

Energy Task Force

Industry Liaison Group Co-Chairs

Strategic Liaison Group Co-chairs

Public bodies

Networks Strategic Liaison Group

Local authorities

Fishing associations

Community groups

Friends of the Earth Scotland

WWF

Over summer 2022, we engaged across 57 events, involving participants from the energy sector, environmental organisations, young people, equalities and community groups. This included:

• Meetings with experts across the energy sector to gain their input on complex and technical issues.
• Discussions with the Scottish Energy Advisory Board, related Strategic Leadership Groups, eNGOs and public organisations.
• Information sharing activities through in-person and virtual events, including surveys and the use of online platforms. These were aimed at the general public.
• In-depth sessions on maximising opportunities and managing risks. These were aimed at specific groups likely to be most impacted by the transition and at key stakeholders and stakeholder representatives.
• Two packages of engagement, delivered by external facilitators: (1) a series of "sprints" – consecutive, linked events, bringing together multiple stakeholders, cross-sectoral voices and system-wide, national issues; and (2) Place-based "participatory futures and community workshops". Further details on these can be found on our website.
• A dedicated session on the future of energy and transport, involving representatives from the transport, energy and finance sectors.

In total, there were over 20 in-person sessions across Scotland, stretching from Dumfries to Thurso. These were bolstered by online events and input from various digital platforms, including a workers survey. We engaged with around 1,500 people from a range of backgrounds, including workers, community groups, businesses, young people and civil society organisations.

How engagement has informed the draft ESJTP

The engagement on the draft ESJTP has enabled us to identify the priority issues for those most affected by the energy transition. The engagement events generated a large number of outline proposals and recommendations that the participants felt should be considered to help deliver the energy transition. All the proposals were collated and analysed, after which they were grouped in order to identify key themes and common issues.

These proposals were considered in the context of existing Scottish Government policy positions, devolved powers and their direct relevance to the scope of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

The information gathered has enabled us to develop our vision for the just transition of our energy economy.

Key Themes

There were several key themes which emerged through the stakeholder engagement:

1 - The Role of Communities

Stakeholders emphasised that communities must be empowered by, and supported through, the energy transition. This includes exploring models of shared ownership, mandating a level of local content in every major energy project, delivering community-owned energy generation through local authorities and establishing a community benefit framework with clear criteria to make sure the right benefits reach the right communities.   

2 - Affordability and Access to Cleaner Energy

Stakeholders highlighted the importance of ensuring that every household can get the energy they need at an equitable rate. It was also highlighted that support should be provided for those on lower incomes and those in, or at risk of, fuel poverty.

Stakeholders called for improved incentives to encourage the switch to cleaner energy and reduction of energy use for consumers and businesses alike. This includes investment in public transport, supporting costs of energy efficiency measures and enhancing the coordination of retrofit schemes.   

3 - Supply Chains and Exports

Many voices called for the Scottish Government to help provide the correct market signals and to propose a timetable for when critical components of the energy system are needed. This would ensure that home industries can scale up and invest to deliver transformation of the energy system, as well as harness the opportunities to export products and expertise around the globe.  

4 - Jobs and Skills

Stakeholders raised the need for a clear plan, direction of travel and timetable for when the correct skills and jobs are required to deliver the energy transition at both a local and national level. This requires sustained and sufficient alignment between professional bodies, industry and bespoke training providers to deliver the workforce of the future.

The majority of respondents to the survey of workers were not aware of the term "just transition", though most supported the Scottish Government's definition and approach, when it was explained. Respondents tended to express low confidence in a just transition for the sector.

The majority believed the transition would have a big impact on their jobs. Early analysis indicates that oil and gas workers tended to believe this impact would be negative, whilst those in renewables tended to believe it would be positive.

Most thought the transition could create new energy jobs and saw themselves transitioning to a green/low carbon job in the future (either immediately or over the long term). However, they identified a number of key barriers to moving to green/low carbon jobs. These included not wanting to leave the current job; not being able to find equivalent good pay and a lack of information around reskilling/retraining and job opportunities. 

Stakeholders felt that our energy system transition needed to have a strong focus on future proofing and planning. A priority for many stakeholders was for the Scottish Government to work within the bounds of a UK-wide energy system to bring about the systematic change needed within the energy sector, including changes to unlock local supply, greater coordination between government and regulators and a more rigorous regime of obligations and penalties for non-compliance, as well as embedding decarbonisation and adaptation as core components of all development.   

Next Steps

We will build on the engagement carried out so far, beginning with the consultation on the draft ESJTP. A cycle of engagement, policy design and testing and refinement will continue alongside progress of the finalisation of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, as well as on other just transition plans throughout 2023. We will continue to engage the Just Transition Commission to enable their advice and scrutiny of our Just Transition Plans.

A key reflection from the engagement and initial stages of co-design on the ESJTP is that an outline plan and indicative policies will support more detailed co-design for subsequent sector plans. That has informed the process underway for those plans. The next phase of co-design and consultation will allow us to build out the actions needed from industry, communities and individuals to set out a shared action plan. This draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will form the basis of the next phase of the consultation process, during which we will focus on the issues raised by stakeholders that this plan does not address.