Just Transition Minister Richard Lochhead has responded to the publication of a new report from the renewed Just Transition Commission.
The report, called ‘Making the Future’, is the first from the new commission – which the Scottish Government announced it would be establishing in September last year.
The Commission has 12 Parliamentary-term Commissioners who, working alongside Commission Chair Professor Jim Skea CBE, scrutinise, advise and report annually on the progress Scotland is making to ensure a greener, fairer future for everyone.
Just Transition Minister Richard Lochhead said:
“I am pleased to see the first report from the Commission and want to thank the Commissioners for their work to date.
“This interim report sets out the imperative and challenge of delivering a just transition, providing valuable advice on how to approach our forthcoming Just Transition Plans.
“The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that, as Scotland transitions its society and economy towards a net zero future, the actions we take are fair to individuals, communities, businesses and regions.
“A just transition is about seizing the opportunities from our economic transformation, ensuring those benefits are equally shared and securing a fair future for workers in existing industries.
“That is why our spending plans over this Parliamentary term prioritise investment in net zero and the just transition.
“We are increasing spending on heat in buildings, active travel and peatland and woodland restoration, as well as investing heavily in the development of our renewable and clean energy sectors.
“Capital spending on programmes will also increase by over half a billion pounds over the next three years, to speed up the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience across Scotland.
“In addition, we are directly financing the just transition with a ten-year, £500 million Just Transition Fund.
“The Resource Spending Review, published in May, commits us to increasing our efforts to leverage private sector investment in the just transition to net zero, so that we can make better use of limited public funds.
“This report comes at a crucial time in our transition, as the Commission rightly identifies, and at a period when many are struggling with the cost of living crisis.
“It is vital that Scottish Government prioritises the interventions than can ease that burden in the short term and deliver the transformation needed for a fairer future.
“We will be considering this report in our policy making, particularly looking ahead to our first Just Transition Plan – the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.”
