A joined-up just transition for Scotland

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PLENARY SESSION You’ve got over 70 phenomenal speakers lined up – that’s like a Glastonbury of just transition experts. Dr Martin Valenti, South of Scotland Enterprise Opening the conference was Martin Valenti of South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE), caffeinating the audience with a mix of optimism and exhortation. His focus was on “complete, collaborative, joined-up working”, the importance of a just transition, and the opportunities for “new jobs, new lifestyles, new ways of living, and new exciting things that we can do.” THE HEADLINER First of the Glastonbury line-up was Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work. Outlining how far Scotland has come on its net zero transition and how far is still to go, he emphasised that the transition has to be fair to everyone: “Scotland does retain the scars of poorly managed economic and social change – not least in our coalmining communities. “That’s why our climate legislation … requires our journey to net zero to be aligned with the principles of just transition. Delivery of this will ensure that the creation of socially sustainable jobs, low-carbon investment and engagement with communities is embedded in all aspects of our climate action.” THE SUPERGROUP Next up was a stellar panel of Professor James Curran, Professor Jim Skea, Lynne McEwan of Bruichladdich Distillery, Shaun Macleod of BSW Timber, Richard Hardy of Prospect Trade Union and Poonam Malik of University of Strathclyde. After each had given their personal perspective on just transition, the discussions centred on the four key messages of the Just Transition Commission Report (2021) and how to deliver them. 1 Pursue an orderly, managed transition to net zero that creates benefits and opportunities for all. Panellists emphasised that the transition to net zero is not just about an outcome but a process. They mentioned the importance of roadmaps, of businesses investing in net zero knowledge, the role of government and enterprise and skills agencies, and the need to consider the international dimension to just transition. 4 Full agenda, speaker profiles and videos of all sessions at: https://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/cop26-just-transition/
2 Equip 3 Empower people with the skills and education they need to benefit from the transition. Points mentioned included the importance of giving the current workforce confidence to reskill, and the importance of creating a STEM pipeline in schools and tertiary education and then avoiding skills ‘leakage’. and invigorate our communities and strengthen local economies. Highlighted here were the potential of the circular economy to create a more resilient economy, and fostering social partnerships and local action – from regional land use partnerships to community-generated electricity – to deliver inclusive green recovery. 4 Share benefits widely and ensure burdens are distributed on the basis of ability to pay. Discussion ranged from the conceptual (e.g., is GDP the right metric for economies) to the specific (who should pay for the rollout of EV charge points and the decarbonisation of heat). I encourage you all to work with us in using (COP26) as a pivotal moment in Scotland’s history, to help plan how we transition to net zero across all sectors of our society and in the process create a fairer greener Scotland that we are all proud to call home. Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, Scottish Government THE CLOSING ACT Last on the bill was Mike Cantlay, Chair of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), in conversation with Martin Valenti about one of Scotland’s greatest assets in a just transition: the education sector. Their conversation highlighted the sector’s dual role in that transition: as well as providing education and skills to the next generation, it leads on research and innovation in the green economy, collaborating with industry to deliver a green recovery. Asked which elements of the sector he was proudest of, he pointed to Scotland’s seven Innovation Centres and SFC’s idea to create them: “You wouldn’t imagine Scotland today without the Further Innovation Centre programme.” reading We have to address challenges rather than assume that someone else younger or smarter than us will do something at some point in the future. Dr Martin Valenti, South of Scotland Enterprise Just Transition Commission 2022 Just Transition Commission 2019-2021 You can watch the full morning plenary session here Full agenda, speaker profiles and videos of all sessions at: https://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/cop26-just-transition/ 5
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Page 7 and 8: LOW-CARBON TRANSPORT Speakers intro
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Page 15 and 16: RETHINK The final two sessions cons
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A joined-up just transition for Scotland

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