Grangemouth industrial just transition plan: island communities impact assessment - screening

3. Assessment

Our initial assessment of the GMJTP is that the plan is unlikely to have significant impacts on Island communities, given the geographic remit of the programme of work. The document is designed to sit at a strategic level that guides decision making and supports the transition to net zero in way that enhances positive outcomes for people, place and environment in direct proximity to the industrial cluster.

The primary communities who will be impacted by this plan are situated wholly within the wider Grangemouth area. Our assessment does not identify any unique impacts on demographic, socio-economic, or linguistic considerations related to Island communities.

We acknowledge that as the Grangemouth cluster diversifies to support the transition to net zero, the production of SAF and other low carbon alternatives is one area that may impact on the cost of flights to and from the Islands and this should be continuously reviewed as more definitive steps are taken to influence that realisation. However, currently there is an extremely low volume of SAF manufactured in Scotland, with much more work needed to consider the commercial and regulatory barriers to its expansion as a viable alternative to jet fuel. Furthermore, there are no actions within the GMJTP that mandate the production or use of SAF or other alternatives. The Scottish Government chairs a working group on SAF which has a remit to analyse mitigations relating to present and future production and consumption of SAF and impacts on Island communities should be considered at the appropriate stage of that work.

The Scottish Government will keep this under review as work around decarbonisation at Grangemouth continues.