Russell Findlay: SNP’s just transition away from fossil fuels is ‘fiction’

Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay has called the SNP’s opposition to nuclear energy “ill conceived” and criticised the party’s ‘just transition’ strategy as “fiction.”

Findlay called for an “affordable transition” which expands upon on the extraction of oil and gas in the North Sea and increases nuclear energy production in Scotland to reach net zero targets.

The Scottish Conservatives have called for work to commence on up to nine new small modular nuclear reactors across the country to replace the energy production lost from the closure of existing nuclear power stations.

Giving a speech in Edinburgh, Findlay said: “Swinney’s SNP government says it wants to achieve net zero in just 20 years’ time. This time last year, the SNP scrapped their interim target of a 75 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030.

“This was always pie in the sky, the Climate Change Committee’s report confirmed that the SNP had no chance of meeting that target. This forced the SNP to drop the 2030 interim pledge.

“To meet the SNP’s [net zero] 2045 target, people and businesses would be forced to make radical changes and these would come with an eye-watering financial cost. Ordinary Scots should not be told what to do by politicians, then be told they’re picking up the tab. The SNP’s so-called ‘just transition’ is a fiction.”

The Scottish Government’s approach to achieving net zero via just transition refers to a shift towards a low-carbon economy that ensures no one is left behind in the process of decarbonisation. The first Just Transition Commission began its work at the start of 2019.

Findlay added: “I urge the SNP to ditch their empty sloganeering and embrace a considered and pragmatic environmentalism. While the demand for oil and gas remains, we should produce it domestically. North Sea oil and gas is greener than imports. Why should Scottish jobs be sacrificed for net zero?

“It is blindingly obvious that Scotland also needs nuclear. Our nation faces losing out on abundant clean nuclear energy and jobs because of the SNP’s bone-headed ideological opposition. Nuclear power generated 31 per cent of our electricity in 2021. When Hunterston B in Ayrshire closed, that dropped to 19 per cent two years later.”

Responding to Findlay speech, the Lib Dems accused the Tories of being “out of touch”.

The party’s climate spokesperson, Liam McArthur MSP, said: “The Scottish public overwhelmingly back reducing Scotland's emissions, so Russell Findlay is completely out of touch here.

"We are still going to rely on North Sea oil and gas for many years to come but everyone acknowledges that it will not last forever. Crucially, this is also the industry with the most experienced and talented people for delivering the resources and infrastructure we will need for net zero.

“With the right investment and creative thinking a just transition is clearly possible. Delivered in the right way, it could even deliver benefits for communities and cut bills. The Conservative party are so terrified of Reform that they are flailing around desperately for any wacky idea.”

A spokesperson from the Scottish Government said: “The transition to net zero and our renewables revolution will have huge economic benefits for Scotland, supporting growth and creating jobs. Climate action will also improve people’s wellbeing, protect us from extreme weather events like wildfires and floods, and create resilient communities.”