The Grangemouth refinery closure is “a shining example of how not to do anything”, an advisor on moving away from oil and gas has said.
Richard Hardy from the Just Transition Commission said “the key lesson” on changing from fossil fuels to renewables was “not to do it like it’s been done at Grangemouth.”
He also had a go at the UK Government for giving public money to Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe when he “spent that public money divesting jobs and communities that are very precarious.”
It comes as Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman challenged Scotland Secretary Ian Murray about the transition.
Hardy was answering a question from Labour MP Kirsteen Sullivan at the Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster. He said: “We’ve done a lot of work on Grangemouth. We’ve worked quite closely with the community, the workers at the plant.
“I think it’s a shining example of how not to do anything. That’s the key lesson how we do change in the future: not to do it like it’s been done at Grangemouth. I think it’s fair to reflect that lots of promises have been made by various people in various different roles, none of which seem to have come about.
“Honesty is a good place to start. There needs to be conditionality around the provision of public funds to people, particularly very rich people living in tax havens who own football teams, who take public money and spend that public money divesting jobs and communities that are very precarious.”
He continued: “The commission’s view is that high carbon organisations have to have an exit plan and they need to bring forward those exit plans so what we’re not doing is making a decision in January and then telling people that their jobs are going to be gone by the end of November.”
He added: “It is fair to say that Grangemouth was a litmus test for just transition, and it didn’t do particularly well, I’m afraid.”
Refining operations will cease at Grangemouth in the spring after more than a century of operation. The decision to shut the refinery and convert the site into a fuels import depot will see more than 400 highly-skilled jobs lost over the next two years.
Later on Wednesday Alloa and Grangemouth MP Leishman said failing to respond properly to the closure would be an “unjust transition”.
Leishman said during Scotland Office Questions in the House of Commons: “If the Grangemouth refinery closes in 2025 and the recommendations of Project Willow aren’t ready for years to come, then thousands of jobs will be lost. The very definition of an unjust transition.
“How can the Government possibly claim to have a credible industrial strategy for Scotland if they allow this to happen?”
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray replied: “The closure of the Grangemouth refinery is regrettable. I think the honourable gentleman needs to reflect on the fact that the previous government and the current Scottish Government had 32 years combined to do something about Grangemouth and didn’t lift a finger.”
Leishman shook his head. Murray continued: “Since we came to Government in July we’ve got a £100m Falkirk and Grangemouth growth deal over the line. We’ve got some short term help for the workers at Grangemouth. We continue to work with the company and trade unions on the Grangemouth refinery. And we look forward to Project Willow coming to fruition this month and the Government is fully committed to making sure we can see that through.”
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