The UK Government's new North Sea Future Plan highlights the need for a just transition for workers and communities hosting oil and gas infrastructure, recognising the role of the north-east of Scotland in supporting the energy sector and the impacts of the upcoming transition, according to energy transition researchers at the University of Aberdeen.
The North Sea Future Plan references research produced by the University of Aberdeen’s Just Transition Lab (JTL) on the importance of regional just transition planning.
Commissioned by Scotland’s Just Transition Commission, the JTL’s report acknowledges that Aberdeen and the north-east is the region likely to have the most concentrated social and economic effects of energy transition over the coming decades. It provides advice and recommendations on high level principles and practical governance arrangements for approaches to just transition planning at regional and site scale. The JTL’s research is underpinned by extensive engagement and empirical work and has previously informed the 7th Carbon Budget by the Climate Change Committee.
Dr Daria Shapovalova, of the Just Transition Lab, said: “It is encouraging to see the UK Government engage with the concept of Just Transition and acknowledge the impacts of decisions in energy policy on communities and workers in Aberdeen and the wider area. We hope, what follows, is a robust plan for the region’s future.”
Prof Tavis Potts said: “We welcome engagement with our report on just transition planning. We will continue working on policy relevant research through projects like JUST Systems and TRANSECTS, ensuring that opportunities of decarbonisation are fully embraced, and benefits are fairly distributed in our communities.”
The Just Transition Commission co-chairs Professor Dave Reay and Satwat Rehman
previously said: “The Just Transition Lab has done important work over recent years in advancing our understanding of critical elements of our agenda, most notably through their report on Measuring a Just Transition in the North East of Scotland. We are grateful to Daria and her colleagues at the University of Aberdeen for their work on this report, which has supported the Commission in deliberating and agreeing upon our formal recommendations regarding regional and site-specific just transition planning.”