Agenda item

With reference to the meeting of Council of 22 February 2023, the Committee had before it a Notice of Motion in the name of Councillor Houghton in the following terms:-

That the Committee:-

1. Notes the release of the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023.
2. Notes the statements on page 9 that “We want to see the fastest possible just transition for the oil and gas sector” and on pages, 14, 55, 97 that “there should be a presumption against new exploration for oil and gas”.
3. Recognises the reaction to the Plan from Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce who stated the presumption “has been met with complete disbelief in the North-East of Scotland” and that it is “a breath-taking betrayal of one of Scotland’s biggest industries” by the Scottish Government.
4. Believes that the thousands of workers in the oil and gas industry deserve the Council’s full support.
5. Agrees to instruct the Chief Executive to:

5.1      write to the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport; and (b) Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work re-affirming Council’s view that there should be ongoing financial and training support for the oil and gas industry as part of a managed transition.

5.2      invite the Cabinet Secretary for a meeting with Council Co-Leaders and Group Leaders in 2023 to discuss the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan fully.

5.3      formally respond to the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan consultation by 4 April 2023, re-affirming the Council’s commitment to the oil and gas sector as part of the managed transition and noting the concerns of Council about the “breath-taking betrayal of one of Scotland’s biggest industries”.

5.4      write to the Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work to ask the Scottish Government to collect and monitor renewable energy sector job creation data at a local authority level to ensure that a Just Transition is taking place in Aberdeen. With the North East region making up 30,000 (46%) of direct Scottish energy sector jobs, Aberdeen is more exposed to job losses from this energy transition, it is only morally right that there is an additional focus on renewable job creation for our region.

Councillor Houghton was in attendance at the meeting in relation to this item only.

At this juncture, the Convener advised that the Vice Convener would be moving an amendment and asked if any other Members were so minded.  Councillor Blake advised that she also had an amendment, and both were circulated to the Committee.  Following this, Councillor Houghton advised that he was content to accept Councillor Blake’s wording into his Notice of Motion and Councillor Blake therefore withdrew her amendment.

Councillor Houghton, seconded by Councillor Blake, moved as an amended motion:-

That the Committee:-

1.     Notes the release of the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023.

2.     Notes the statements on page 9 that “We want to see the fastest possible just transition for the oil and gas sector” and on pages, 14, 55, 97 that “there should be a presumption against new exploration for oil and gas”.

3.     Recognises the reaction to the Plan from Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce who stated the presumption “has been met with complete disbelief in the North-East of Scotland” and that it is “a breath-taking betrayal of one of Scotland’s biggest industries” by the Scottish Government.

4.     Notes that Friends of the Earth Scotland have said that “there is very little by way of new measures in this long-awaited Scottish Government Energy Strategy to tackle the climate crisis or the immediate impacts of the cost of energy crisis” and “The Strategy contains lots of fine talk about job creation but no detail about how they will be secured. A huge dose of realism is required for many of the jobs estimates, particularly on potential for the hydrogen sector.”

5.     Believes that the thousands of workers in the energy industry deserve the Council’s full support.

6.     Agrees to instruct the Chief Executive to:

6.1        write to the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport; and(b) Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work re-affirming Council’s view that there should be ongoing financial and training support for the oil and gas industry workers as part of a managed transition;

6.2        invite the Cabinet Secretary for a meeting with Council Co-Leaders and Group Leaders in 2023 to discuss the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan fully;

6.3        formally respond to the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan consultation by 4 April 2023, re-affirming the Council’s commitment to the oil and gas sector and worker and community-led just transition, which will support workers and the economy in the North East of Scotland, and noting the concerns of Council about the “breath-taking betrayal of one of Scotland’s biggest industries”; and

6.4        write to the Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work to ask the Scottish Government to collect and monitor renewable energy sector job creation data at a local authority level to ensure that a Just Transition is taking place in Aberdeen. With the North East region making up 30,000 (46%) of direct Scottish energy sector jobs, Aberdeen is more exposed to job losses from this energy transition, it is only morally right that there is an additional focus on renewable job creation for our region.

The Vice Convener, seconded by the Convener, moved as an amendment:-

That the Committee:-

(a)      note the release of the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan by the Scottish Government on 10 January 2023;

(b)      note the Scottish Government’s 10-year £500 million investment of the Just Transition Fund for the North East and the National Transition Training Fund (NTTF) which benefitted over 9,000 workers transition to the Renewable energy sector in its first year;

(c)      note the Co-Leaders recently met with the Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work to reaffirm the Council’s commitment to work with the Scottish Government to deliver a Just Transition for the City;

(d)      instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to respond to the Scottish Government's Consultation on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, affirming that the Council's approach to shaping the transition to Net Zero and for the economic future of the city and the region will be led by the learning from our Regional Economic Strategy; and

(e)      instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth to collaborate with our Scottish Government partners and other bodies, as appropriate, with the ambition of developing and collating the relevant data as indicators, i.e. on sector skills and jobs, to assist in monitoring that a Just Transition is taking place in Aberdeen and regionally.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (6) – Councillors Ali, Blake, Farquhar, Kusznir, Macdonald and Massey; for the amendment (7) – the Convener; the Vice Convener; and Councillors Hazel Cameron, Fairfull, Henrickson, Hutchison and van Sweeden.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the amendment.