GFIB Industrial Just Transition Leadership Forum minutes: March 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Màiri McAllan MSP, Scottish Government
• Gillian Martin MSP, Scottish Government
• John Lamont MP, UK Government
• Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn, Falkirk Council
• Kenny MacInnes, Forth Valley College
• Adrian Gillespie, Scottish Enterprise
• Victoria McRae, CVS Falkirk
• Hisashi Kuboyama, Federation of Small Businesses
• Iain Hardie, Petroineos
• Stuart Collings, Ineos O&P
• Andrew Gardner, INEOS
• Stewart Sleigh, Veolia
• Angus Gray, Calachem
• Mark Simmers, Celtic Renewables
• Richard Totten, Syngenta  
• Stuart Wallce, Forth Ports
• Francis Stuart, STUC
• Rory Steel, GMB
• Cliff Bowen, Unite
• Derek Thomson, Unite

Official Support

• Susie Townend (Scottish Government)
• Mike Botten (UK Government Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Items and actions

Item 1 – Opening Remarks and Introductions

Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy Màiri McAllan MSP opened the meeting and welcomed new attendees to the Forum.

The Cabinet Secretary thanked the UK Government for attending and acknowledged that joint working was essential to developing solutions for Grangemouth.

The Cabinet Secretary reminded attendees that collectively providing leadership and direction to the Grangemouth Just Transition Plan was the overarching remit of the leadership Forum. The Cabinet Secretary expressed that the Scottish Government will do everything possible to develop the Grangemouth Just Transition plan and appreciate this opportunity for a pragmatic and honest dialogue with members of the Forum.

Members heard that Lord Cameron, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Scotland Office, will serve as the UK Government’s representative on the GFIB Leadership Forum.

Members collectively approved the group’s draft Terms of Reference.

Item 2 – Update from Petroineos

The Cabinet Secretary invited Iain Hardie (IH) to update attendees on the current situation at the refinery.

Item 3 – Discussion of Low Carbon Projects

The Cabinet Secretary noted that most attendees will already be considering or working on low carbon projects, and asked attendees to nominate a representative for inclusion on the GFIB Programme Board where they had not already done so.

Item 4 – Just Transition Plan Vison and Progress Update

The Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work Gillian Martin MSP expressed that the Grangemouth plan is an opportunity to establish a strategic vision for the long-term future of cluster. The Minister noted that this is true not just of the refinery itself but for industry, unions, and community throughout the Grangemouth cluster.

This plan will be the guiding strategy for the activities and decision making of GFIB and the Scottish Government is grateful for attendees’ collaboration on this.

A Scottish Government official then presented attendees with an overview of the draft Just Transition vision for Grangemouth.

Item 5 – Next Steps and Closing Remarks

The Cabinet Secretary thanked attendees for their contributions and noted that this feedback will be considered when drawing up an agenda for the next Leadership Forum meeting.

The Cabinet Secretary drew the meeting to a close.